Eddie The Eagle Owl

For the past few days in Hunstanton has been residing a Eurasian Eagle Owl, i went with Bob to take some photos of it, below is information about the Eagle Owl, a website says it it more likely to be an Indian Eagle Owl.

Twitchers watching Eddie on the Roof of Goldilocks hair dressers

Eddie on the Chimneytop of Goldilocks Hairdressers

Eddie

Eurasian Eagle Owl
Bubo bubo

            
Eurasian Eagle Owl - Bubo bubo bubo        Eurasian Eagle Owl - Bubo bubo omissus

Description	Very large owl with prominent ear tufts and vivid orange eyes. Very variable throughout range. Nominate race; buff-brown upper-parts, heavily marked with black, greyish (grayish) facial disk. Under-parts paler buff-brown with black streaks, and fine brown barring on belly, white throat. Becomes paler as you move eastwards in the northern parts of the range up to western Siberia, then progressively darker to Pacific coast. Birds becomes paler from north to south in Asia Minor and Middle East. Size decreases East to West, and North to South.
Size	60-75cm, 1500-4200g
Range	From Europe across Russia to Pacific, South to Iran, Pakistan across to China and Korea.
Habitat	Mainly remote rocky areas, river valleys, ravines, quarries etc. also open forest, Taiga, steppe and semi desert.
Food	Mainly mammals from shrews up to foxes and young deer. Also a wide range of birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Breeding	Usually begins breeding in late winter. 1-4 eggs are laid on a shelter cliff ledge, in a crevice or a sheltered depression on the ground. The eggs are incubated for about 35 days. The young leave the nest by about 5 weeks and can normally fly within a further 3 weeks. They become independent by about 24 weeks old.
Call	A deep resonant “ooh-hu” with emphasis on the first syllable.
Status	Not globally threatened, although rare or uncommon through most of its range. Becoming very scarce in parts of Europe.
Comments	In some parts of Europe, this species has been successfully reintroduced back into the wild, following restoration of suitable habitat. A good example of the importance of captive breeding.
Races	Many additional races have been described, but these are often just intermediate population or individual variation.
B.b.bubo	N & C Europe
B.b.hispanus	Iberian Peninsula
B.b.ruthenus	Russia from Moscow east to Urals
B.b.interpositus	Ukraine south to Syria
B.b.sibericus	W Siberia from Urals to River Ob
B.b.yenisseensis	C Siberia from Ob to Lake Baikal
B.b.jakutensis	NE Siberia from Lake Baikal to Pacific
B.b.ussuriensis	SE Siberia to N China
B.b.turcomanus	From Volga through Kazakhstan to W Mongolia
B.b.omissus	Turkey
B.b.nikolskii	S & C Iran to Pakistan
B.b.hemachalana	Himalayas, Tien Shan, Pamirs, Tibet
B.b.kiautschensis	China & Korea
B.b.swinhoei	SE China

Hunstanton: Pets at risk from eagle owl Eddie

Hunstanton Beach

Published on Tuesday 10 May 2011 06:43 Lynn News

DOG and cat owners have been warned to beware the eagle owl on the prowl in Hunstanton.
The bird, which has been christened Eddie by townspeople, appeared last week and has been blamed for the wholesale disappearance of many of the ducklings around town.
Mac Tucker, who keeps owls in Middleton, warned people not to approach the bird and said it could also prove dangerous for local pets.
“People should be warned not to try to pick it up with bare hands,” he said.
“A heavy gauntlet should be used. You must isolate the legs.
“Don’t worry about the beak. But once the talons get in the grip intensifies.”
Mr Tucker, who shows his birds to support his work for the Royal Air Force Association, said he was “99 per cent sure that it is an escaped domestic bird”. He said it probably had a blue or bronze ring on its leg.
He said: “Looking at the picture in the Lynn News I would say it is either a Turkmanian or Eurasian eagle owl.
“They weigh up to 10lbs and have a wing span of six to seven feet.
“They are quite a handful. They can eat up to 10 chicks a day or half a rabbit.
“Rabbit would be their preferred food but they will take a small muntjac deer or even, if they get hungry enough, cats and dogs.”
Mr Tucker blamed the popularity of the Harry Potter films – where an owl is the wizard’s companion – for the number of rare owls now flying free in the countryside.

From http://raptorpolitics.org.uk 9th May 2011

“Possible migrant Eagle Owl residing in Hunstanton Norfolk”

HUNSTANTON in Norfolk is probably better known for its gulls, fulmars and turnstones, than for owls, but it can now boast its very own eagle owl, know to local residents a Eddie. The owl has been seen on several rooftops to the north of the town centre. So far all enquiries have drawn a blank as to its possible local origin as it seems no eagle owls are missing in the area. The bird has no jesses or any other markings to show it may be an escapee.
It now seems possible that this eagle owl is on a working holiday from Scandinavia and is preying on the resort’s ducklings.
It appears curious that this is the third eagle owl which has turned up on the Norfolk coast in recent years leading to further speculation that eagle owls from the continent could have crossed the north sea into the UK. Certainly the owl photographed on a roof in Hunstanton had no passport and was not holding a European flag in its beak to confound the sceptics, so on that count the disbelievers will once again claim this owl is also escapee.

Foot Note:

Having now examined the images of this eagle owl it is clear the bird in question is not a European Eagle Owl. It appears most likely to be an Indian Eagle owl which unfortunately has either been released or has escaped.

• Chrissie harper

  May 9, 2011 at 6:03 pm · Reply

  I have looked at the picture on Surfbirds and this is an Indian Eagle Owl not a European Eagle Owl so this owl has escaped or been released from captivity, it needs to be caught as in all probability it will be unable to hunt and will soon die, does anyone know if someone has reported losing one, the IBR are the people to contact in this case.

• mark

  May 9, 2011 at 9:01 pm · Reply

  i’m watching this eagle owl being bombed by seagulls at this very moment

• chrissie harper

  May 10, 2011 at 4:51 pm · Reply

  Mark what is happening with this owl, is anyone trying to catch it and are the authorities aware of it? this owl needs help.

Indian Eagle Owl
Bubo bengalensis

Indian Eagle Owl - Bubo bengalensis

Description
Large, eared owl with orange eyes. Tawny-buff colouration mottled with black, paler below with black steaks. Dark and light morphs have been described.
Size
50-56cm, 1100-2000g
Range
Indian sub-continent to Himalayas, also W Myanmar.
Habitat
Rocky hills, wooded scrub, ravines, rocky semi-desert old mango orchards.
Food
Mainly rodents but also birds, reptiles, frogs, crabs and large invertebrates.
Breeding
From October to May, but mainly February to April. Nest is a scrape on a rock ledge, cliff or on the ground. 2-5 eggs are incubated for about 35 days.
Call
Deep, resonant, single pitched “double noted hoot”.
Status
Not globally threatened, although not common anywhere in its range.
Comments
Also known as the Bengal and Indian Eagle Owl.
Races
Monotypic. Was until recently considered a race of B.bubo, but vocalisations and DNA are distinct. Lives sympathetically with B.b.nikolskii in parts of Kashmir.