Strix nebulosa is a very reclusive owl. The male prepares for breeding and the nesting season as spring approaches by performing aerial displays and bringing food to the female. Strix nebulosa may not breed, but when they do, the number of eggs laid is related to food abundance. The years with a surfeit of mice, the owls will tend to lay more eggs and more young survive the nestling stage. Strix nebulosa inhabit coniferous forests of the Northern Hemisphere; they tend not to migrate but will leave their territories if their food supply runs short. Strix nebulosa hunt equally well both day and night, as they have both excellent hearing and vision. The main predator of the Great Gray Owl is the great horned owl, although both of these birds are often harassed by ravens and other small birds. (Baetsen 2000; The Owl Pages; Huff et al. 1997; Osborne 2000; Compton's Encyclopedia 1998).

 

Key Behaviors: flies; motile