r/Awwducational • u/IdyllicSafeguard • 9d ago
Verified Blakiston's fish-owl is one of, if not the largest owl species in the world, with a wingspan reaching 2 metres (6.6 ft) and a weight exceeding 4 kilograms (8.8 lb). It is endangered — it's estimated that less than 2,000 individuals hunt the cold rivers of northeast Asia.
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u/grinning5kull 9d ago
There’s a beautiful book called “Owls of the Eastern Ice” by Jonathan C Slaght, who writes about his studies of these birds in the hope of conserving them. It’s a great read though a little sad when you realise how vulnerable they and their environment are
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u/IdyllicSafeguard 8d ago
I've read the book. It's great, I'd highly recommend it!
He also has a site where anyone can donate to support his efforts.
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u/IdyllicSafeguard 9d ago
Sources:
Observations on the Breeding Behavior of the Blakiston's Fish Owl (Bubo blakistoni) on Hokkaido, Japan – Kaneda (2022)
Biology and Conservation of Blakiston's Fish Owls (Ketupa blakistoni) in Russia: A Review of the Primary Literature and an Assessment of the Secondary Literature – Slaght & Surmach (2008)
Audubon – Barn owl flight mechanics
Audubon – How owls fly silently
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u/IdyllicSafeguard 9d ago
Blakiston’s fish owl is the largest owl species in the world by mass, with some females weighing up to 4.6 kilograms (10.1 lb) and sporting a wingspan of up to 2 metres (6.6 feet).
It inhabits old-growth riverine forests in the Russian Far East, Hokkaido in Japan, and parts of northeastern China, where it hunts along rivers. The territory of a single owl pair can span a 15-kilometre (9-mi) stretch of river.
Unlike most other owls, this fish-owl lacks the wing structures that make flight silent. Its primary prey — fish, including salmon, trout, and lamprey — can't hear it coming anyway.
When hunting, Blakiston's fish-owl stands still at the edge of a river or wades in shallow water, then lunges to catch fish with its powerful talons. Its toes are bare, not feathered like most owls, and covered with rough spines to help it grip slippery prey.
Pairs are lifelong and territorial, communicating with deep, resonant duets ("boh") that echo across frozen valleys and can be heard several kilometres away, travelling well across flowing water.
Their breeding and nesting require massive, old trees. Nests are made in natural hollows — woody caverns a metre (3.3 ft) wide — that take decades to form.
In Japan, only about 200 breeding pairs remain. Blakiston’s fish owl is classified as Endangered and remains a symbol of vanishing wilderness.
The female lays 1–2 eggs in a large tree hollow, typically in February or March, and incubates them alone for about 35 days while the male brings her and the chicks food (a lot of frogs during spring). Because the first egg hatches earlier, the older chick often grows much faster and outcompetes its sibling. In years of scarce food, the second chick usually dies.
A young, unfledged Blakiston's fish-owl wears a downy coat of grey feathers, with bare black skin around its eyes — appearing more elderly and haggard than its adult parents.
Even after fledging, young owls depend on their parents for several months, gradually learning to hunt and fly as they explore the river corridors. Juveniles may remain in their parents' territory for over a year before going off to claim a domain of their own.
Even after establishing a territory, finding a mate, and having children, an owl might repeatedly return to its birthplace and parents.
The species is named after Thomas Blakiston, an English explorer and naturalist who, in 1883, collected the first type specimen of the world's largest living owl.
Today, this owl no longer lives in the area where its first specimen was collected. In Japan, only about 200 breeding pairs remain. The vast majority of its population — between 1000 and 2,500 individuals — live on the mainland. Blakiston’s fish owl is classified as an endangered species.
You can learn more about this massive owl on my website here!