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The Eurasian Eagle Owl

© Fred J. Kane

The Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo

Who is "Boobo Boobo"? Boobo Boobo is the Eurasian Eagle Owl that at adulthood weighs about nine pounds, stands about thirty inches tall with a wingspan of up to five and one half feet. It is the largest of all owls and the females tend to be larger than males yet their plumage is similar. Their feathers are usually brown with speckles or bars. The ear tufts are only feathers that help in camouflage. The color design of their feathers approximate the tree trunks and branches of the woods where they live. The Eagle Owl is hard to see when perching during the day. The Eagle Owl has forward looking eyes with a yellow or golden iris. Their eyes are tubular and move very little in their sockets. To see everything the owls turn their heads and bob and weave to allow all around vision and to judge distance. Scientist know the owls for their outstanding night sight and exceptional hearing.

The Eagle Owl's bill and claws are powerful and bent. When hunting they hit their prey with their talons spread out.

The Eagle Owl lives over a large area of the Old World in Eurasia, North Africa, and the Arabian region. People found the Eagle Owl in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, northern South Africa and a few parts in the South. In all locations the Eagle Owl will seek woodlands with high wooded sides, level land with low brush and trees and tree lined water courses for its habitat. The Eurasian Eagle Owl lives in ravines, and forests. The Eagle Owl can live to more than 60 years.

As man trespasses on their territory and clears the land for farming and building homes, the environment of the Eagle Owl decreases. The "boobo-boobo," also known as Eurasian Eagle Owl, was hunted by men for a long time. They robbed the nest of its eggs and chicks. Because of this poaching today this owl is on the Red List of highly endangered species list.

The Eagle Owl eats a wide variety of prey, some quite large. They have an assorted diet. Along with mammals like mice, rats, squirrels, hedgehogs, hares, and rabbits they eat birds, ducks, reptiles, frogs, fish, crayfish and spiders. They also hunt pigeons and cats. If mammals and birds are scarce and the owl is hungry they will attack bigger animals and divide it into more digestible parts. It may take small deer, porcupine, weasels and fox too. When the Eurasian Eagle Owl captures it prey it swallows it down at once, in one piece. It opens its beak very wide and swallows everything down. It eats the skin, bones, claws and hair and later it regurgitates these indigestible leftovers as small pellets. For hunting it prefers the open landscape and they hunt mostly in the night. The Eagle Owl seldom hunts during the day.

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