bird of northern forests, Great Gray Owls are only an extremely rare winter visitor to the state.
They are one of the largest owls in the state by body size, but body size is
slightly misleading as the species has an extremely thick and dense covering of
feathers. Despite the bird's size, they have relatively weak talons and
primarily prey on small rodents. The only record of the species in South
Dakota upon publication of 1991 edition of
"The Birds of South Dakota" (South Dakota Ornithologist
Union, 1991) was a dead specimen found
in January, 1984
near Dell Rapids (Bradwisch). However, in the winter of 1999,
Vogelmann found a specimen perched on a dead tree stump in his back yard between
Sioux Falls and Brandon. When vole and other small mammal populations
crash in their normal northern haunts, some birds may move southward into parts
of the United States in winter. Large numbers of the species were found in the
Sax-Zim Bog region near Duluth, Minnesota in the winter of 2004/2005, and are
the source of all of the photos found on this page
Habitat: Dense conifer forests, adjacent
meadows, bogs. Generally prefers mix of dense forest and open areas.
Diet: Mostly small mammals, including voles, pocket gophers, mice, shrews, squirrels,
Behavior: Great Gray Owls will hunt both during
the day and night, with a significant portion of its foraging occurring near
dawn or dusk. They can hunt by either sight or sound.
Breeding: Non-breeder in South Dakota
Song: A bold, deep, booming
hoo-hoo-hooo; also utters single-note hoots.
Migration: Permanent resident throughout its
normal range in Alaska, Canada, higher elevation areas in the western U.S.,
and northern Minnesota. However, population crashes of prey mammal
species sometimes result in numbers of the birds moving southward in winter
in search of food.
Similar Species: Generally distinctive, but
possibly confused with the Barred Owl.
Conservation Status: Possible decline in southern part of its
range, but the majority of its range is in areas with little human
Cornell University's "All About Birds - Great Gray Owl"
-- Great Gray Owl
Photo Information: December 13th, 2004 - Near Sax-Zim Bog, Minnesota
- Terry Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or
text links below for additional, higher-resolution Great Gray Owl photos.