Great Gray Owl
Great Gray Owl has no long-term trend on record.
About the Great Gray Owl
The Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) is a North American member of the Owls (Strigidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 5–27.5 in long (13–70 cm) — a nocturnal raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 41 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 7 states, most concentrated in the Boreal Hardwood Transition.
- Family
- Strigidae · Birds of prey
Notable Great Gray Owl Trends
No notable trend signals for Great Gray Owl. See the full index history below.
Great Gray Owl Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Great Gray Owl is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.00). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±56.7%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2026 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2027 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2028 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2029 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Where the Great Gray Owl Is Detected
BBS routes recording Great Gray Owl, sized by most recent count.
Great Gray Owl Population Trend by State
| Alaska | +48% | 1996 | 11 |
| California | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Idaho | insufficient data | n/a | 6 |
| Minnesota | -42% | 1986 | 11 |
| Montana | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Oregon | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Wisconsin | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
Great Gray Owl Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 4 | +35% | 1996 | 10 |
| Northern Rockies | -68% | 1992 | 11 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | -37% | 1986 | 12 |
Great Gray Owl Conservation Status
Great Gray Owl is tracked across BBS survey routes; no formal conservation-status flag is recorded here.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.