Specimen of the Month: Reclusive Raptor of the North

"Whoooo" is the greatest owl? Ask that question to a group of naturalists and they might all have a different answer. Some might be fascinated by the Northern Saw-Whet Owl, nature's cutest killer weighing only as much as eight Oreo cookies. Others are probably most impressed by the Great-Horned Owl, certainly a beloved species in our Museum. Yet nobody can deny the greatness of the Great Gray Owl--a species as elusive as it is impressive.

The Museum's taxidermy mount of a great gray owl.
A study skin preparation is also part of our collection.

Great gray owls (Strix nebulosa) have a certain mystique about them--as even their species name would indicate. In the Greek origin myth, Strix referred to a bird akin to an owl, with piercing eyes and a nocturnal cry. Nebulosa has Latin origin, meaning mist or cloud. Picture this dark giant watching over a frosty bog below as it silently occupies an evergreen high above. Despite its large appearance, I could still imagine its gray plumage camouflaging into the bark background. Great gray owls are tall, have a long wingspan, and generally appear large--larger than a great-horned owl even. Interestingly, this species has a relatively small body. 

I admittedly knew little about the great gray owl before a visitor questioned me about the species one recent, bustling day. He and his family had been mesmerized by our raptor display as I approached them along the hallway. They had viewed falcons, eagles, and various owls, but all had wanted to see a great gray. I quietly assumed that they wanted to view its relatively large size, something I had been aware of, and motioned over to the collection storage room where a taxidermy mount sat high on the shelves. 

The reason this bird looks so large is because it requires densely packed feathers for insulation against the cold of its northern habitat. Its need for nutrition thus is satisfied not by rabbits or squirrels, but largely by small voles such as the meadow and southern red-backed voles that occupy the upper Great Lakes region. An owl's highly developed auditory system allows it to hear a rodent as it scurries along subnivean tunnels deep under a blanket of snow, many feet away. Rodents like these account for almost 90% of their diet, and so the owl's life is largely dependent on this small critter's presence throughout the year. When the rodent population crashes, the great gray owls have been observed to move southward for food. 

Evidence of rodents navigating between the cover of
snow and the outside world. Unfortunately for them,
owls can locate activity under two feet of snow! 

This is when we might find the opportunity to witness such a magnificent raptor in the wild. I have viewed excellent images captured by wildlife photographers north into Minnesota.When this species is desperate for food, it may even approach southern portions of Wisconsin. 

If you don't anticipate finding this reclusive owl though, consider familiarizing yourself with one of the Museum's specimens. This species is the Specimen of the Month during December, and our taxidermy mount highlights its impressive stature. While some of the mystique found in a live creature may not be felt, this viewing experience won't require that you keep a safe 50 feet of distance away from the owl.