European Eagle Owl

Eagle owls are the largest owls in the world, and they are best known for their large, striking, orange eyes. They are often called the Old World version of America's widely distributed great horned owl. They have prominent ear tufts and are primarily brown-black and tawny-buff in color. Their facial disk is heavily marked with black, gray and white. Their upper parts are darker than their lower parts, which have black streaks, and their throat is white. It is interesting to note that these owls become paler in the northeastern geographic regions and get progressively darker as you move to the Pacific coast. Also, size tends to decrease from north to south and east to west (Centre for the Conservation of Specialized Species, 2002; Konig, Becking, and Weick, 1999; The Peregrine Fund, 2003).