Ural Owl

Scientific name: Strix uralensis

The Ural owl is a nocturnal owl, with an unusually long, wedge-shaped tail. Their flight style has deep relaxed wing beats, giving the appearance of quite a large bird.

Their name refers to the Ural Mountains of Russia where they are commonly found. They prefer to live in taiga forest (snow forest) biomes, near a clearing. They are well adapted to elevations from sea level to mountainous regions. They are highly territorial and rarely stray from their home range, even when the prey population decreases.

They can also be highly territorial of an area in which they have used to nest previously. They prefer tree cavities and stumps but will use nests built by other birds, and nest boxes made by conservationists. The female will incubate alone while the male brings her food. Incubation lasts for 28-35 days, and owlets fledge at 35 days old but cannot fly until about 45 days old. Owlets are fed by their parents for an additional two months after leaving the nest.

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