Juvenile Boreal Owl
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Copper Center, Alaska
We were leading our Sea Scouts on a 58-day camping trip from Miami, Florida to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and back. On this day, we were in an undesignated campground by the Copper River. The two of us got up early that morning and hiked through the thick brush for several hours looking for wildlife, with limited success. When we finally returned to camp, some of the scouts who had slept in, pointed out this Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) maybe ten feet above the ground in a tree right by our tent. The fluffy little guy's eyes followed us everywhere. Nancy was able to get several pictures before we had breakfast, packed up, and headed off to our next adventure.
This is a small owl, 9 to 10" long, with an almost two-foot wingspan. It weighs between 3.5 ounces to 7.5 ounces, with females being up to twice as heavy as males. It is an unsociable, non-migratory owl breeding in dense coniferous (mostly pine) forests. There are seven subspecies spread across the northern part of the Northern Hemisphere. This one is A. f. richardsoni, which can be found from Alaska east to southeastern Canada and northern New England, and down into the Rocky Mountains. It is notoriously difficult to spot. To see what the adults look like, you can go to TheCornellLab website.
These owls eat mostly voles and other mammals, but also birds and even insects (crickets). They are nocturnal, hunting at night where their location and season provide enough hours of darkness to do so.
They are only monogamous for a single breeding season. They make their nest in an existing hole (typically created by woodpeckers), usually 20 to 80 feet above the ground. The male will call from one to five prospective sites and the female will come and choose the nest site. They usually pick a new nest site every year. They lay three to six white eggs. These owls can live up to 16 years if not eaten by larger owls or other raptors.
Photographic details: Canon EOS 20D camera w/ EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens set at 400mm. Flash was not used. Camera was on f/5.6 for 1/125 sec at ISO 400.
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| Print details: maximum size | Medium | Printed | Estimated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Art Paper | 15" x 11" | 18" x 13" | |
| Canvas | 14" x 11" | 21" x 16" |
Currently In Stock
Although we can print to your specifications any size up to the above limits to the nearest 1/16" with any mat and moulding combinations, the below prints are available immediately:
| Print Number | Description | Price (includes sales tax & shipping) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matted: | ||||
| #3N Paper |
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matted 15"x11", brown inside "In The Buff" mats (outside 20"x16") | $105 | |
| Framed: | ||||
| #4N Paper |
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framed 15"x11" print, yellow inside brown mats, dark driftwood frame (outside 231/4"x191/4") | $212 |
We used to have a different numbering system for prints on fine art paper than for print on canvas, as described in our blog post We’ve Changed Our Numbering System Again. For the Juvenile Boreal Owl, the consolidated numbering system began at #6 (after 4 paper prints and 1 canvas print had been made).