Great Gray Close Up

Great Gray Owls (Strix nebulosa) are fairly large measuring about 27 inches in length and about 2.4 pounds in weight; this species is the world's... more

by Morris Finkelstein

Title

Great Gray Close Up

Artist

Morris Finkelstein

Medium

Photograph

Description

Great Gray Owls (Strix nebulosa) are fairly large measuring about 27 inches in length and about 2.4 pounds in weight; this species is the world's largest owl by length (but not in weight)! They are deceptively large due to their abundance of fluffy feathers, rather than muscle mass. They are found widely distributed in North America, mostly in Canada and Alaska, and occasionally in the northern United States, northern Europe (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and Estonia) and northern Asia. This owl has a rounded gray face, yellow eyes, large facial discs, and a white collar below the beak. Their preferred breeding habitat is in dense coniferous and oak forests, adjacent to bogs or meadows. They prefer to hunt around dusk or dawn, or at night, relying on their very excellent sense of hearing, capturing prey as deep as 2 feet under the snow's surface. They feed almost exclusively on small mammals (mice, lemmings, and voles), and occasionally on grouse, quail, small hawks and ducks. Their biggest threats are from diminishing habitat, West Nile Virus, and motor vehicles. Because they are not as territorial as some other birds of prey, they are not easily flushed by humans or automobiles, and are therefore difficult to spot in the field.

This close up of the full face of a Great Gray Owl, perched on a branch and hunting in the snow, was photographed in the Gooseberry Falls State Park on the morning of 2-6-2017, a freezing, snowy, and overcast day. The Great Gray Owl has the largest facial disc of any owl species. I used a Nikon D810 camera body and a Nikon 500mm f/4.0E FL ED VR lens to capture this image. Settings: 1/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 640. Gooseberry Falls State Park is located on the North Shore of Lake Superior, along Minnesota Highway 61. It was opened in 1937, and is known for wildlife.

I am honored that my photograph was featured in the Fine Art America groups:
Images That Excite You, 2-14-2017
Wild Birds Of The World, 2-15-2017
FAA Portraits - Birds, 2-17-2017
Birds In Focus, 2-27-2017
Fuzzy Warm And Soft, 3-4-2017
Animal Photographs, 3-5-2017
Nikon Full Frame Cameras, 3-5-2017
Photographers From Around The World, 3-5-2017
Big Sky Of Art, 3-6-2017
World Wildlife, 3-11-2017
All Natural Beauty Of This World, 3-11-2017
Nature Landmarks Landscapes Wildlife, 3-14-2017
A Birding Group - Wings, 3-14-2017
10 Plus, 3-24-2017
Animals And Birds In The Wild, 3-28-2017
The 200 Club, 4-12-2017
Minnesota, 5-18-2017
Art District, 6-4-2017
FAA Portrait Gallery, 6-27-2017
Midwest America Photography, 12-11-2017
USA Photographers Only, 11-14-2018
Pure Nature Photography, 1-14-2018
Five Star Artist, 11-25-2018
500 Views Share Group, 10-1-2019
500 Views, 11-9-2019
The Outdoor Photographer, 4-10-2021
1000 Views, 8-27-2022
1000 Views Special Feature, 8-29-2022
Art For Passion - Passion For Art, 9-9-2022

First Place Finish in FAA Contest
“Owl Portrait Photography”
7-24-2019; Admin. Larry Kniskern

KEYWORDS: great gray close up, great gray owl, strix nebulosa, owl, raptor, birds of prey, predator, hunter, bird, avian, wild, wildlife, nature, natural, outdoors, feathers, plumage, fluffy, face, facial disc, eyes, yellow eyes, beautiful, nocturnal, large, one, stare, staring, looking, hunting, waiting, watching, alert, woods, conifers, perched, snowing, cold, winter, ecotourism, ecotravel, midwest, midwestern, gooseberry falls state park, minnesota, morris finkelstein, st. louis, missouri, photograph, digital, horizontal, portrait, close up, nikon d810, photography

Uploaded

February 13th, 2017