# Eurasian Eagle-Owl (*Bubo bubo*)

The Eurasian eagle-owl (*Bubo bubo*) is a bird of the family Strigidae, in the order Strigiformes.

> The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is one of the largest owls in the world, with blazing orange eyes and long ear tufts. It lives across Europe and Asia in rocky country with cliffs, gorges and woodland, and hunts mammals up to the size of hares and young foxes as well as other birds. It averages about 2.7 kg and can live around 20 years in the wild. It is listed as Least Concern.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Rocky and wooded country across Europe and Asia from Iberia and Scandinavia to the Russian Far East, and parts of North Africa.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/eurasian-eagle-owl/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Strigiformes
- **Family:** Strigidae
- **Genus:** Bubo

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Bubo bubo |
| Diet | Carnivore: rodents, hares, hedgehogs, birds |
| Habitat | Rocky country with cliffs and ravines, open forest and taiga |
| Weight | Average about 2.7 kg; females larger than males |
| Lifespan | About 20 years in the wild; 60+ years recorded in captivity |
| Range | Europe and Asia |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2025) |

## A top predator of the night

Eagle-owls take a wide range of prey: rats, voles, rabbits and hares, hedgehogs, and birds as large as herons and ducks. They also kill other birds of prey, including buzzards and smaller owls. Hunting mostly at dusk and through the night, they watch from a perch and glide down onto prey on silent wings.

## Cliffs, gorges and woods

BirdLife describes its habitat as mainly rocky country with cliffs, ravines and caves, mixed with patches of woodland or scattered trees. It also uses taiga, wooded steppe, river gorges, old quarries and farmland near rocky outcrops. The same nest site, often a sheltered ledge, may be used for many years.

## Calls and display

The male's call is a deep, booming 'oo-hu' that carries a long way on still nights. The ear tufts are feathers, not ears; they are raised in alarm or display. When threatened, an eagle-owl fluffs its feathers and spreads its wings to look even bigger.

## Conservation

BirdLife International lists the species as Least Concern (2025) with an estimated 180,000 to 300,000 mature individuals, although the trend is suspected to be decreasing. Electrocution on power lines, collisions, persecution and loss of prey have caused local declines, while protection has allowed it to return to parts of western Europe.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Eurasian eagle-owl the biggest owl?

It is one of the two largest owls in the world, alongside Blakiston's fish owl. Big females can weigh well over 3 kg.

### Can an eagle-owl kill a fox?

Eagle-owls have taken young foxes and are powerful enough to kill prey the size of hares, but most of their diet is rodents and birds.

### Do eagle-owls live in Britain?

There is no native wild population in Britain. Small numbers of birds, most likely escapes from captivity, have bred there.

### How long do eagle-owls live?

Around 20 years in the wild, and more than 60 years has been recorded in captivity.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo bubo. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/eurasian-eagle-owl-bubo-bubo)
- [Animal Diversity Web: Bubo bubo. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bubo_bubo/)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/eurasian-eagle-owl/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.