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The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), [4] also known as the polar owl, the white owl and the Arctic owl, [5] is a large, white owl of the true owl family. [6] Snowy owls are native to the Arctic regions of both North America and the Palearctic, breeding mostly on the tundra. [2]
While most bats encountered (and hunted) are fairly small-bodied, tawny owls may hunt bats of all sizes available, from the roughly 4 g (0.14 oz) common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) to the 59 g (2.1 oz) greater noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus) in Europe and to the 140 g (4.9 oz) Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) outside of Europe.
In Europe, it has killed every other species of owl, from the tiny pygmy owl and scops owl to the large 1,078 g (2.377 lb) great grey owl and the 2,040 g (4.50 lb) snowy owl. [142] The Eurasian eagle-owl is the only raptor that has been known to prey on snowy owl on multiple occasions.
Owls are divided into two families: the true (or typical) owl family, Strigidae, and the barn owl and bay owl family, Tytonidae. [2] Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except the polar ice caps and some remote islands.
Hunting decoys are the early predecessors of garden owls. Both Native Americans and Europeans used bird decoys in strategic hunting practices. [15] [16] European records show efforts to reducing bird damage to crops though usage of decoys dating back to the 1400s. Books on pest control that mention using decoys were written in the 1600s. [17]
As highly opportunistic predators, Eurasian eagle-owls hunt almost any appropriately sized prey they encounter. Most often, they take whatever prey is locally common and can take a large number of species considered harmful to human financial interests, such as rats, mice, and pigeons. Eurasian eagle-owls do take rare or endangered species, as ...
[270] [271] In areas where barred owls moved in within 0.8 km (0.50 mi) of a spotted owl nest area, 39% of spotted owls disappeared and were not seen again, while in areas still free of barred owls (so spared from this interspecific pressure), 11% of spotted owls disappeared and were not found again.
Blakiston's fish owl (Ketupa blakistoni), the largest living species of owl, is a fish owl, a sub-group of eagle-owls that specialize in hunting in riparian areas. [3] It is native to China, Japan, and the Russian Far East.