In one of my postings earlier
this year, I covered a couple of reports on the Mothman phenomenon in the Eastern USA . On
the observations and a comparable out of England
I suggested we were looking at a giant owl that may be native to Europe rather than the Eastern Seaboard. Other observations elsewhere did not conform
to the owl hypothesis at all and were likely of a different critter.
Now we have a likely pair of giant
owls setting up house in the surrounds of Albuquerque
It is thus easy to surmise that
the improved northern climate has encouraged the Eurasian Eagle Owl to migrate
over to North America . It should actually be no surprise as there is
plenty of their target prey available.
My guess is that they may well have existed in the Americas
The bottom line is that the giant
owls of Eurasia are colonizing north America as
they should.
Residents in the foothills of the US
city of Albuquerque
A large owl is said to have feasted on small cats and dogs in the city
(Picture: Alamy)
It is unknown whether there are more than one of the large owls, which
are said to roam the area looking for small animals to feast on.
Pet owners living in the foothills are now concerned and are keeping a
close eye on their beloved pooches and cats. 'We've seen him 3 or 4 times. He's
huge. One day when we were walking, he swooped down over my husband's head.
He's a huge owl,' said local resident, Cindy Hummel.
One dog owner said she found claw marks on the back of her pet and
another said that an owl that lives next to her home killed her puppy.
Marie Iverson described how she heard her dog yelping and when she went
out to see what had happened, the puppy had disappeared.
The head zookeeper at Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque
Eurasian Eagle-Owl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle owl resident
in much of Europe and Asia. It is also one of
the largest types of owls.
The Eagle Owl is a large and powerful bird, smaller than the Golden
Eagle but larger than the Snowy Owl.
It is sometimes referred to as the world's largest owl, but this is actually
the Blakiston's Fish Owl, which is slightly bigger
on average.[2][3] The
Eagle Owl has a wingspan of 138–200 cm (55–79 in) and measures
58–75 cm (23–30 in) long. Females weigh 1.75-4.5 kg
(3.9-10 lbs) and males weigh 1.5-3.2 kg (3.3-7 lbs).[4][5][6] In
comparison, the Barn Owl weighs about 500 grams (1.1 lbs).
The great size, ear tufts and orange eyes make this a distinctive
species. The ear tufts of males are more upright than those of females. The
upperparts are brown-black and tawny-buff, showing as dense freckling on the
forehead and crown, stripes on the nape, sides and back of the neck, and dark
splotches on the pale ground colour of the back, mantle and scapulars. A narrow
buff band, freckled with brown buff, runs up from the base of the bill, above
the inner part of the eye and along the inner edge of the black-brown ear
tufts. The rump and upper tail-coverts are delicately patterned with dark
vermiculations and fine wavy barring. The facial disc is tawny-buff, speckled
with black-brown, so densely on the outer edge of the disc as to form a
"frame" around the face. The chin and throat are white continuing
down the center of the upper breast. The whole of the underparts except for
chin, throat and centre of upper breast is covered with fine dark wavy barring,
on a tawny-buff ground colour. Legs and feet are likewise marked on a buff
ground colour but more faintly. The tail is tawny-buff, mottled dark grey-brown
with about six black-brown bars. This plumage may vary slightly in different
subspecies but is consistently distinctive. Bill and claws are black, the iris
is orange (yellow in some subspecies).
Feeding
It mainly feeds on small mammals in the 200-2,000 gram (0.44-4.4 lb)[7] weight
range, such as voles, rats, mice and hares. However, prey
can be killed up to the size of foxes, marmots and young deer (up to
17 kg/37 lb), if taken by surprise.[8] The
other significant group of prey is other birds and almost any type of bird is
potential prey. Common avian prey include corvids, grouse, woodpeckers,
other raptors and,
especially near coastal areas, ducks, seabirds and geese.[9] Larger
prey (over 3 kg/7 lb) is consumed on the ground which leaves the bird
vulnerable to loss of prey or even predation by predators such as foxes.
Breeding
The call of the Eagle Owl is a deep resonant “ooh-hu with emphasis on
the first syllable for the male, and a more high-pitched uh-Hu for the female.
Each member of an Eagle Owl population can be identified by means of its
vocalizations.
This species has a strong direct flight, usually consisting of shallow
wing beats and long, fast glides. It has, unusually for an owl, also been known
to soar on updrafts. The latter method of flight has lead them to be mistaken
for Buteos,
which are smaller and quite differently-proportioned.[10]
The Eagle Owl is largely nocturnal and is usually found nesting on
cliff ledges. Laying generally begins in late winter, sometimes later. One
clutch per year of 1-6 white eggs are laid, measuring 56-73mm x 44.2- 53mm
(2.2- 2.9" x 1.7- 2.1") and weighing 75- 80g (2.6- 2.8 oz). They
are normally laid at 3 days intervals and are incubated by the female alone,
starting from the first egg, for 31–36 days. During this time, she is fed at
the nest by her mate. Once hatched, the young are brooded for about 2 weeks;
the female stays with them at the nest for 4–5 weeks. For the first 2–3 weeks
the male brings food to the nest or deposits it nearby, and the female feeds
small pieces the young. At 3 weeks the chicks start to feed themselves and
begin to swallow smaller items whole. At 5 weeks the young walk around the
nesting area, and at 52 days are able to fly a few metres. They may leave
ground nests as early as 22–25 days old, while elevated nests are left at an
age of 5–7 weeks. Fledged young are cared for by both parents for about 20–24
weeks. They become independent between September and November in Europe , and leave the parents' territory (or are driven
out by them). At this time the male begins to sing again and inspect potential
future nesting sites. Young reach maturity in the following year, but normally
breed when 2–3 years old.
In winter
The Eagle Owl can live for 20 years in the wild although like many
other bird species in captivity they can live much longer, perhaps up to 60
years. Adults have no natural predators are thus considered apex
predators. Man-made causes are the leading cause of death for this species:
electrocution, traffic accidents and shooting sometimes claim the eagle-owl.
Habitats
Eagle Owls are distributed sparsely through a wide range of habitats.
They have been found in habitats as diverse as Northern coniferous forests
to the edge of vast deserts. Rocky areas seem to be favored, with cliffs and
mountains abutting woodland usually containing the largest numbers of these
owls. Taiga, steppe and grasslands,
may also be visited, largely while hunting in their large territories.[10]
Farmland is sometimes inhabited and they even have been observed living
in European cities. Since 2005, at least five couples have nested inHelsinki.[11] The
number is expected to increase due to the growth of the European rabbit
population in Helsinki
(European rabbits have spread recently to the Helsinki area,
originating from pet rabbits released to the wild. Hares, a prey of the Eagle
owls in their natural habitat, live only in rural areas, not in the city
centre.) In June 2007, an Eagle Owl nicknamed 'Bubi' landed in the crowded Helsinki Olympic Stadium during the
European Football Championship qualification match between Finland and Belgium Finland
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