Every month, museum visitors choose the exhibit they liked the most. What they singled out for June was the European eagle-owl. 

The European Eagle-owl(Bubo bubo) or Eagle-owl is one of the largest living species of owl, also found in Greece. It is 50-80 cm long, has a wingspan of 135-180 cm, and weighs up to 4 kg. Its intense gaze and orange-red eyes distinguish it, while its head bears feathers resembling ears. It is found in sparsely wooded areas, but also in rock areas, where it prefers to nest in rock caves. Eagle-owls are very intelligent birds and skillful predators, surprising their victims while they are sleeping. As a nocturnal species, it is mainly active after sunset and feeds on small mammals and birds, frogs, etc.

Although it is classified as Least Concern (LC) species, its numbers are currently declining, with human activity, poaching, poisonous baits and collisions with vehicles or wires being the main threats.


5/7/2024