Eurasian eagle-owl in Great Britain
Hidden in the hills and dales of Yorkshire lives a mighty eagle owl. These hefty birds are back here in the north of England after an absence that stretches back 1,000s of years. There is some debate as to whether eagle owls can be classified as native to Britain. There are fossil records that date back 700,000 years, but these stop at about 10,000 years ago and no one is sure whether these latest owls, of which there are estimated to be only 50 pairs in the country, are captive birds that have escaped into the wild or whether they have migrated here from Europe – a short flight for a bird with a 6ft wingspan
Eurasian eagle-owl in Great Britain
Hidden in the hills and dales of Yorkshire lives a mighty eagle owl. These hefty birds are back here in the north of England after an absence that stretches back 1,000s of years. There is some debate as to whether eagle owls can be classified as native to Britain. There are fossil records that date back 700,000 years, but these stop at about 10,000 years ago and no one is sure whether these latest owls, of which there are estimated to be only 50 pairs in the country, are captive birds that have escaped into the wild or whether they have migrated here from Europe – a short flight for a bird with a 6ft wingspan