# Misty star

**Great Gray Owl / Lappuggla / Great Gray Owl**

- **Plumage:** Soft, voluminous mottling of ash-grey, silver, and brown with fine vertical dark streaks; broad loose feathers giving a massive silhouette. - **Beak:** Yellow, sharp curved bill positioned above a distinct black chin patch ("beard") bordered by white crescent markings. - **Body build:** Impressively large stature with a massive round head, broad rounded wings (wingspan 135–150 cm), but surprisingly light body mass. - **Distinctive details:** Huge facial discs with fine dark concentric rings, relatively small yellow eyes, extraordinarily large asymmetrical ear openings.

In the old-growth boreal forests of Lapland, the great grey owl hunts silently. The coarse woody debris (CWD) of these forests supports the small mammals that form its main diet.

## FAQs

- **What is the great grey owl?**: The great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) is one of the largest owl species, known for its massive facial disk that directs sound to its ears.
- **Where does this species live?**: It primarily inhabits dense taiga and adjacent peatlands in northern Sweden, favoring old-growth forests with abundant deadwood.


## Weitere Informationen

- Illustration: Strix nebulosa
- Nature, Taiga & Waters of Västerbotten
- Native to Northern Sweden