Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Albanian | Kukuvajka e Uraleve |
| Bulgarian | Уралска улулица |
| Catalan | gamarús dels Urals |
| Chinese (SIM) | 长尾林鸮/四川林鸮 |
| Croatian | jastrebača |
| Czech | puštík bělavý |
| Danish | Slagugle |
| Dutch | Oeraluil |
| English | Ural Owl |
| English (United States) | Ural Owl |
| Finnish | viirupöllö |
| French | Chouette de l'Oural |
| French (France) | Chouette de l'Oural |
| German | Habichtskauz |
| Greek | Χουχουριστής των Ουραλίων |
| Hebrew | לילית אורל |
| Hungarian | Uráli bagoly |
| Icelandic | Valugla |
| Italian | Allocco degli Urali |
| Japanese | フクロウ |
| Korean | 긴점박이올빼미 |
| Latvian | Urālpūce |
| Lithuanian | Uralinė pelėda |
| Mongolian | Хув бэгбаатар |
| Norwegian | slagugle |
| Polish | puszczyk uralski |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Coruja-dos-urales |
| Romanian | Huhurez mare |
| Russian | Длиннохвостая неясыть |
| Serbian | Dugorepa sova |
| Slovak | sova dlhochvostá |
| Slovenian | Kozača |
| Spanish | Cárabo Uralense |
| Spanish (Spain) | Cárabo uralense |
| Swedish | slaguggla |
| Turkish | Ural Baykuşu |
| Ukrainian | Сова довгохвоста |
Revision Notes
Steven G. Mlodinow revised the account and standardized the content with Clements taxonomy. Peter Pyle contributed to the Plumages, Molts, and Structure. Claire Walter copy edited the account. Arnau Bonan Barfull curated the media.
Strix uralensis Pallas, 1771
Definitions
- STRIX
- uralense / uralensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Ural Owl Strix uralensis Scientific name definitions
Version: 2.0 — Published October 25, 2022
Photos from this Account
Adult
Adult
Juvenile
Adult
Adult and juvenile
Adult
Ural Owl (subspecies macroura).
Ural Owl (subspecies liturata).
Possible confusion species: Tawny Owl (Strix aluco).
Tawny Owl (subspecies aluco) is smaller, shorter tailed, and darker, and has broader streaks on the underparts accompanied by narrow crossbars and concentric rings on the face.
Possible confusion species: Tawny Owl (Strix aluco).
Tawny Owl (subspecies aluco) has broader streaks on the underparts.
Ural Owl (subspecies liturata).
Possible confusion species: Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa).
Great Gray Owl (subspecies lapponica) is larger and has a huge head with multiple concentric rings on the facial disc and has yellow eyes.
Possible confusion species: Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa).
Great Gray Owl (subspecies lapponica) showing facial disk with multiple concentric rings.
Natal Down in Ural Owl (subspecies liturata)
Natal down is white. Juvenile feathers are visible under down.
Ural Owl undergoing Prejuvenile Molt (subspecies liturata)
White natal down clings to juvenile feathers during and following Prejuvenile Molt.
Juvenile (left) and Definitive Basic (right) Ural Owl (subspecies japonica)
This plumage is similar to Definitive Basic Plumage, but the feathers are very loosely constructed, and markings are paler and less distinct, especially around the head. Juvenile wing and tail feathers uniform in wear; juvenile rectrices narrow, pointed and with pale tips.
Formative Ural Owl (subspecies uralensis)
Formative Plumage is like Definitive Basic Plumage, but molt limits can occur among upperwing coverts or between these and the scapulars, the outer median and greater coverts (at least) retained as juvenile feathers, contrasting with fresher replaced formative lesser coverts and scapulars, which are fresher and darker brown. The juvenile remiges and rectrices are retained and uniformly narrow, rounded, or tapered at their tips, relatively faded, and showing paler tips with little or no dark mottling. Rectrices are narrow and tapered at the tips, with broader and more distinct pale bars than found in later feather generations.
Formative Ural Owl (subspecies nikolskii)
Note the uniform look to the juvenile remiges and rectrices, with relatively distinct dark bars. Replaced formative scapulars appear newer than retained juvenile wing coverts. Rectrices appear narrow and tapered at the tips.
Formative Ural Owl (subspecies liturata)
Juvenile rectrices appear narrow, tapered or pointed, and with broad pale tips. Replaced formative scapulars appear to contrast with retained juvenile wing coverts. Visible juvenile outer primaries are uniform and relatively worn and narrow. Retained juvenile tertials and inner greater coverts are worn.
Second Basic Ural Owl (subspecies liturata)
Note p4-p8 have been replaced and p1-p3, p9-p10, and most visible secondaries are juvenile, contrastingly narrow and brown. Replacement of primary coverts reflects that of primaries and some tertials also appear to be replaced. This pattern indicates Second Basic Plumage, when 1-6 primaries are typically replaced. Whether molt proceeded distally from p4 or bidirectionally from p5 may require further study.
Second Basic Ural Owl (subspecies nikolskii)
Here it appears that p4-p6 were replaced during the Second Prebasic Molt. Visible secondaries appear to be uniformly juvenile. Rectrices appear to be mixed, with one juvenile and one second basic feather visible.
Second Basic Ural Owl (subspecies uralensis)
Here p4 and p5 and the tertials appear to be second basic with the remaining remiges juvenile. All juvenile rectrices appear to be retained during the Second Prebasic Molt, known to occur in other Strix owls.
Definitive Basic Ural Owl (subspecies liturata)
Definitive Basic Plumage is distinguished by having upperwing coverts and remiges that are broader and uniform in quality and coloration or showing mixed generations of lightly contrasting, basic feathers. Outer primaries, primary coverts, and rectrices are broader, more truncate, and relatively fresher; with pale feather tips sometimes mottled darker than in juvenile feathers.
Definitive Basic Ural Owl (subspecies liturata)
Note mixed patterns of wear among remiges, indicating two or more generations of basic feathers, in irregular patterns (unlike sequential patterns shown after Second Prebasic and Third Prebasic molts). Some patterns (as here, where p2 fresher than p1 and p3) may indicate older individuals. Rectrices are broad, truncate, and with the terminal pale band mottled grayish.
Definitive Basic Ural Owl (subspecies liturata)
Remiges show mixed generations in irregular sequences and rectrices are broad and truncate at the tips.
Bird showing head detail (subspecies macroura).
Lateral view (subspecies liturata).
Dorsal view (subspecies liturata).
Frontal view (subspecies liturata).
Lateral view (subspecies uralensis).
Frontal view (subspecies uralensis).
Lateral view (subspecies uralensis).
Lateral view (subspecies macroura).
Frontal view (subspecies macroura).
Dorsal view (subspecies macroura).
Lateral view (subspecies yenisseensis).
Frontal view (subspecies yenisseensis).
Lateral view (subspecies yenisseensis).
Frontal view (subspecies nikolskii).
Dorsal view (subspecies nikolskii).
Ventral view (subspecies nikolskii).
Frontal view (subspecies japonica).
Dorsal view (subspecies japonica).
Ventral view (subspecies japonica).
Lateral view (subspecies hondoensis).
Frontal view (subspecies hondoensis).
Ventral view (subspecies hondoensis).
Frontal view (subspecies fuscescens).
Ventral view (subspecies fuscescens).
Frontal view (subspecies davidi).
Ventral view (subspecies davidi).
Dorsal view (subspecies davidi).
Bird in its habitat; Lapland, Finland.
Bird in its habitat; Malopolskie, Poland.
Bird in its habitat; Sisacko-moslavacka županija, Croatia.
Bird in its habitat; Kärnten, Austria.
Bird in its habitat; Jihočeský kraj, Czech Republic.
Bird in its habitat; Jihočeský kraj, Czech Republic.
Bird in its habitat; Tochigi, Japan.
Bird in its habitat; Sichuan, China.
Bird in its habitat; Töv, Mongolia.
Bird feeding on small mammal.
Bird feeding on frog.
Bird feeding on small mammal.
Small mammals are important prey items for Ural Owl.
Pair nesting in stump.
Adult in nest box.
Bird nesting in hole in tree.
Downy chick.
Adult at nest with downy chicks.
Adult and chick.
Nest boxes can compensate for bird nesting sites lost due to creation of “managed forests”.
Macaulay Library Photos for Ural Owl
Top-rated photos submitted to the Macaulay Library via eBird. Note: Our content editors have not confirmed the species identification for these photos.
