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  Profile

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  In flight

Owls

Boreal Owl

Aegolius funereus

• rare
• 55 km/h
• Least Concern

Tiny, secretive, and almost never seen by daylight. Calls a rapid series of soft toots from the spruce.

Population

Approximately 730,000–1,810,000 mature individuals, believed stable (IUCN/BirdLife 2021 global assessment)

Habitat

Dense boreal and subalpine coniferous/mixed forest, especially old-growth with abundant tree cavities (e.g., black/white spruce, birch, aspen)

Fun fact

The Boreal Owl's ear openings are asymmetrically positioned on its skull, giving it such precise 3D sound localization that it can pinpoint and catch rodents moving beneath a blanket of snow purely by hearing.

Range

Circumpolar northern forest belt across North America, Europe, and northern Asia (Nearctic and Palearctic), extending south into montane forests such as the Alps and Rockies

Diet

Mainly small mammals (voles, mice, shrews), with occasional small birds, amphibians, and insects

Size

0.25 m

Wingspan

0.58 m

Lifespan

16 years