Fun Ural Owl Facts For Kids

A round head, a round face, and a long tail, that are possibly all that can be used to describe these owls. Although they are beautiful, they lack any prominent identification features. They resemble tawny owls somewhat, however, they are a bit larger and have a longer tail than the tawny owl. Their scientific name is Strix uralensis, which refers to their origin from the Ural mountain range. Interestingly, although these birds have a variety of different calls, they mostly prefer to stay quiet. In fact, on occasion, they have been known to stay quiet for as long as two days. Imagine voluntarily staying quiet for two days straight! Well, there are many interesting facts about these big and beautiful wood owls.If you like reading fun articles about animals, please check out these tawny owl facts and blue jay facts.‍

What do they prey on? Voles, mice, frogs, insects, rats

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? One to six

How much do they weigh? 1.1-2.8 lb (499-1270 g)

How long are they? 19.7-23.2 in (50-59 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Gray, brown, white

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Habitat Loss

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Forests And Clearings

Locations Europe And Asia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Strix

Class Aves

Family Strigidae

Ural Owl Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is an Ural owl?As evident by their name, this is an owl species native to the Ural mountains of Russia, however, they are found throughout the mixed forest areas and clearings of Europe and the Southeastern Asian region as well. Their scientific name is Strix uralensis.What class of animal does an Ural owl belong to?Ural owls are birds of prey, and like all birds, they are known to produce eggs instead of giving birth to live babies. Common to the species Strix, their heads are rounded and they have a disc-like facial structure that is also round in shape. There is a small indentation in a V shape to correspond with their facial disc. Their tail is long and wedge-shaped. The scientific name of the Ural owl, Strix uralensis refers to the bird’s origin in the Ural mountain range of Russia.How many Ural owls are there in the world?Strix uralensis is listed as a species of Least Concern in the IUCN red list of threatened species, and their population size is roughly measured at 350000-1200000. So, there is no need to worry about the numbers of these birds as of now. However, as their habitat continues to get endangered, experts state that it can have a negative impact on these birds as well.Where does an Ural owl live?They are found inhabiting the forest areas of Finland, Poland, Croatia, Sweden, and throughout the Northern part of Europe as well as Russia, Korea, Japan, Okhotsk sea and much through Central and Southeastern Asia.What is an Ural owl’s habitat?These wood owls prefer hollowed-out tree trunks, natural cavities in trees, cliffs, abandoned buildings as well as lowland forests, clearings, and bogs as their preferred home range.Who do Ural owls live with?Ural owls are known to mate for life, and they are often noticed to roam around their territory with their mates. They prefer forests with old-growth trees with natural cavities in the tree trunk to build their nest boxes. These beautiful creatures have been known to live in the same territory for most of their lives.How long does a Ural owl live?On average, they have a lifespan of about 18-20 years. However, they have been known to live much longer than that if a stable source of prey is available. The longest recorded living Ural owl was about 24 years old.How do they reproduce?This owl is known to mark its territory by singing from different areas of its home range, and the females tend to join in during the mating season. They generally use natural holes in trees, cliffs, or cavities in abandoned buildings to build their nest boxes to lay their eggs in. They are known to breed annually and lay eggs between March and April. The clutch size can range from one to six eggs per pregnancy, and the female is known to incubate the eggs alone while the male is responsible for providing food for her. Interestingly, after an incubation period of about 28-35 days, eggs are hatched in the same interval they were laid in. The hatchlings fledge at about 35 days and start flying around in their home range after about 45 days of being born.What is their conservation status?They are listed as a species of Least Concern in the IUCN red list of threatened species. However, as their habitat, which is mixed forest areas and clearings in the Eurasian range, continues to get endangered, experts state a concern that their population might get affected by it as well.Ural Owl Fun FactsWhat do Ural owls look like?Ural owls have a round facial disc that ranges from cream-ochre grey in color. There is a ring around it that is peppered with black white spots. The underside of the body is grayish brown in color with dark brown streaking through the coat. This bird has a brown back that is often peppered through with spots of brown and white. Their flight feathers are streaked with bars of dark and grayish brown and their wedge-shaped tail is long. Their bill is yellowish in color and their throat is almost white. Eyes are small and dark brown colored, and no visible ear tufts. In fact, these birds lack any proper identification marks apart from their long wedge-shaped tail and unique song. Their feet and toes are also grayish-brown in color with the tip of the claws being dark-colored.How cute are they?The Ural owl, Strix uralensis is quite cute with its round head, gray-brown coloring, and yellow bill. Their small dark eyes help them to locate their prey from forest grounds while staying perched on trees.How do they communicate?They communicate through body gestures like wing flapping and with their distinctive calls. Their contact call and alarm call can be distinguished from each other by the nature of the song. One is rhythmic deep and follows a regular interval pattern while the other is rather harsh and sounds like high-pitched barking.How big is an Ural owl?The Ural owl, Strix uralensis is a rather large owl native to Europe and the Central and Southeastern part of Asia. On average, it ranges at about 19.7-23.2 in (50-59 cm) in length, with a wingspan of about 40.5-48.8 in (103-124 cm). They are about the same size as a small black vulture.How fast can an Ural owl fly?It is hard to say just how fast the Ural owl can fly, however, since members of the Strigidae family are known to fly pretty fast, like the Eagle owl whose top speed is about 40 mph (64 kph), it can be assumed that this owl can fly quite fast as well.How much does an Ural owl weigh?Ural owls are heavy creatures, and the females are heavier than the males. On average, the Strix uralensis weighs about 1.1-2.8 lb (499-1270 g).What are the male and female names of the species?Even though for the females a more informal expression ‘hen owls’ is sometimes used, at large, the male owl is just called a male Ural owl, and the female owl is just called a female Ural owl. Strix uralensis is their scientific name.What would you call a baby Ural owl?The babies of owls are often called hatchlings when they are just born, and then later on as they grow up, they are called owlets. These owlets are known to be able to fly at about 45 days of being born.What do they eat?This bird eats a range of prey, from small mammals like mice, rats, and voles to insects, frogs, shrews and other smaller birds. Like most owls, they are known to hunt from their perches on trees and use their sharp, dark-colored eyes to locate prey from forest grounds and trees in the mountain range of Russia and Europe.Are they poisonous?Owls in general are not poisonous, and the Ural owl is no different. They are pretty curious in nature and can be approached closely. However, like all wild birds of prey, the Ural owl also possesses an unpredictable nature and they can become quite aggressive if they feel threatened by your behavior.Would they make a good pet?The Ural owl, Strix uralensis does not make a good pet. The main reasons for that are, they are wild birds and need a specific type of habitat such as a forest range to thrive. They also need a lot of space to fly around which you can not provide in a home setting. Like all owl species, the Ural owl is also a very messy eater and they make the kind of mess that you will not want in your house. So, keeping them as pets is not really recommended.Did you know…The scientific name of the Ural owl, Strix uralensis refers to the origin of the owl in the Ural mountain range.How high can they fly?It is hard to say just how high they can fly, but as they have massive wings, which helps them stay afloat on air, it can be assumed that they can fly quite high.What do they sound like?The Ural owl is known for having a variety of calls. However, they are usually very quiet, sometimes not even vocalizing for as long as two days. Males are known to have a deep rhythmic call that follows regular intervals, much like ‘wu-hoo hu-hoohoo’, while the females have a higher-pitched barking type of call.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these hummingbird facts and dodo facts for kids.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable ural owl coloring pages.

What type of animal is an Ural owl?

As evident by their name, this is an owl species native to the Ural mountains of Russia, however, they are found throughout the mixed forest areas and clearings of Europe and the Southeastern Asian region as well. Their scientific name is Strix uralensis.

Fun Ural Owl Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Voles, mice, frogs, insects, rats

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? One to six

How much do they weigh? 1.1-2.8 lb (499-1270 g)

How long are they? 19.7-23.2 in (50-59 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Gray, brown, white

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Habitat Loss

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Forests And Clearings

Locations Europe And Asia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Strix

Class Aves

Family Strigidae

Fun Ural Owl Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Voles, mice, frogs, insects, rats

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? One to six

How much do they weigh? 1.1-2.8 lb (499-1270 g)

How long are they? 19.7-23.2 in (50-59 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Gray, brown, white

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Habitat Loss

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Forests And Clearings

Locations Europe And Asia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Strix

Class Aves

Family Strigidae

Fun Ural Owl Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Voles, mice, frogs, insects, rats

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? One to six

How much do they weigh? 1.1-2.8 lb (499-1270 g)

How long are they? 19.7-23.2 in (50-59 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Gray, brown, white

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Habitat Loss

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Forests And Clearings

Locations Europe And Asia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Strix

Class Aves

Family Strigidae