An owl of Europe and Asia with gray-brown plumage and dark markings.
Black spots and streaks mark its plumage, which varies from gray-brown to yellowish brown.
Eurasian eagle-owls repeatedly inflate their throats while calling, exposing a patch of white feathers that stands out against their brown plumage.
A study published in 2009 investigated dusk calling and white-patch visibility in the territories of 25 breeding males in southwestern Spain. Researchers placed a taxidermic owl with its throat patch exposed where the resident male could not see it directly. They photographed it every five minutes from one hour before sunset until fifteen minutes after the last call, while recording the wild males’ calling periods.
Comparing 482 greyscale images showed that the brightness difference between the mount’s white throat and the surrounding background was greatest during calling periods and smaller afterward. The authors proposed that dusk light, which makes the patch conspicuous against its background, may favour a visual signal accompanying calls.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Electrocution on power and railway infrastructure is a conservation concern for eagle-owls in Switzerland. In May 2025 the Federal Office for the Environment described work with railway operators and ornithologists. The Rhaetian Railway had been retrofitting hazardous structures and insulating live components since 2018. The agency reported that no electrocuted eagle-owls had been found in the Engadin since 2022. Other railway infrastructure was also being assessed and prioritized for retrofitting.