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Boreal Owl

Aegolius funereusOrder: STRIGIFORMESFamily: True Owls (Strigidae)

Boreal Owl Portrait
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General

Boreal Owl: Medium-sized owl with white-spotted, brown upperparts and thick brown-streaked, white underparts. Head is black with numerous small white spots, face is white, and eyes are yellow-orange. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has a dark face, arched white eyebrows, and dark brown underparts.

Range and Habitat

Boreal Owl: Occurs in most of northern Canada and the Rocky mountains down to New Mexico. Preferred habitats include old-growth forests with woodpecker cavities for nesting.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

Resembles high-pitched ringing ting, ting, ting, ting.

Interesting Facts

 A group of owls has many collective nouns, including "a bazaar of owls", "a glaring of owls", "a parliament of owls", "a stooping of owls", and a "wisdom of owls."



Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Boreal Owl
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family True Owl (Strigidae)_blue
Species Aegolius funereus
Length9 - 10 Inches
Wingspan23 Inches

Boreal Owl

Boreal Owl: Medium owl, white-spotted, brown upperparts and thick brown-streaked, white underparts. Head is black with numerous small white spots, facial disks bordered with black, eyes are yellow-orange. Short flights have rapid wingbeats, longer ones are bouyant with shallow, silent wing beats.

● Song: Resembles high-pitched ringing ting, ting, ting, ting.

● Foraging & Feeding: Boreal Owl: Prey consists mainly of voles, lemmings, shrews, mice, and moles; occasionally takes small birds, squirrels, bats, frogs, and large beetles; hunts from low branch or tree trunk.

● Breeding & nesting: Boreal Owl: Two to six white eggs are laid in an old woodpecker hole or natural tree cavity; sometimes nests in artificial boxes. Incubation ranges from 28 to 29 days and is carried out by the female; male brings her food while on the nest.

● Similar species: Boreal Owl: Saw-whet Owl is smaller, has black bill and red-brown on facial disk.

Flight Pattern

Short flights., Rapidly beating wings.
Boreal Owl Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Boreal Owl: Occurs in most of northern Canada and the Rocky mountains down to New Mexico. Preferred habitats include old-growth forests with woodpecker cavities for nesting.
BreedingPolygamous
PopulationYes but uncommon
MigrationIrregular
Weight3.6 Ounces