More common are its near relatives, Eurasian eagle owls, which are also formidable in size and appearance. Native to China, Japan, and northeastern Asia, it is endangered and prefers habitat not frequented by humans and so is one of the more mysterious owl species. Called the Blakiston’s fish owl, it has a body the size of a small child and a wingspan that tops out at more than 6 feet. What owl has the largest wingspan? The answer is simple: the world’s largest owl-and it’s one impressive and intimidating creature. Fun fact: As their name suggests, burrowing owls live underground rather than in trees and do their hunting during the day.
Fun fact: barred owls have a hoot that is said to sound like “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all.”.Fun fact: Unlike other owl species that hoot, barn owls have a cry that is often likened to a banshee.Fun fact: Most owls prefer to perch in trees, however snowy owls are more at home on the ground or in low elevations.Fun fact: Though their nocturnal nature means you’re unlikely to ever see one, great horned owls are widespread throughout North America.Great Horned Owl Wingspan: 3.3-4.75 feet.Fun fact: Also called the “Phantom of the North,” great grey owls are the world’s largest species of owl by length.While they all share some things in common-namely a ratio of small body weight to large wingspan and wings that are aerodynamically shaped to ensure silent flight-average owl wingspan differs across species of owls. The uniqueness of an owl wingspan does more than just keep the bird aloft, it also allows the owl to flap its wings less than other bird species and control its flight speed-handy skills to have when hunting prey at night.Īll owls are not the same and neither are their wingspans. Observe how a barn owl flies in this video, and how its large wingspan and small body enable its characteristically slow flight. No matter the bird, the miracle of flight is forever fascinating. If you’ve ever seen one fly, you know that an owl's wingspan is a sight to behold. But the wondrousness of these unique birds is not limited to their place in lore and legend or what is most commonly found in their pellets. If you’ve delved a little deeper into the subject of wingspans, you probably know that several species of albatross and pelicans are considered to be the largest living birds when measuring by wingspan.īecause they do the majority of their flying at night, unseen under cover of darkness, owls might not be front of mind when we consider birds by wingspan. After all, they’re the types of birds we tend to see-and take notice of-soaring gracefully across the sky.
When we think about birds with impressive wingspans, raptors such as hawks, eagles, vultures, and falcons tend to come most readily to mind.