Owl Central: Great Gray Owls

Great Gray Owls
Great Gray Owls primarily live in the northern regions of North America, and in the northern regions of Eurasia. They live in many places and many habitats... though they prefer to have a combo of a forested area, and an open (or semi-open) area. They use the forests for nesting, and the open or semi-open area for hunting.
The mating season begins early for Great Gray Owls. It can start somewhere in January! This is the time when females begin "singing" for mates, and even doing a little "dance" on the nest. The male brings an offering (dinner), and gives it to the female with his eyes closed! The female accepts it, also with her eyes closed! Wow! Until egg-laying time (which can be in the usual March area), the pair preen and feed each other. They spend a lot of time together, even though the coupling isn't permanent.
Momma's got a lot on her job list. She lay the eggs. She then broods them, but, unlike the other owl species I've covered so far, Momma leaves on short flights to hunt for food. However, Momma does spends a lot of time feeding the owlets after they leave the nest. And her job description includes finding a nest... she doesn't always use the same nest (though she may stick around one for a lot of seasons). She may have to steal, claim an abandoned nest, or even build her own nest!
When the eggs hatch, the owlets are very light. But they soon catch up their weight! And that's not the only fast thing they do... they leave the nest only 30 days after hatching! They use their claws and wings to get around their nest-tree very quickly. That's cool!
But the rest is not so amazing. The owlets stick around for a long time before leaving the nest-tree for good. And Momma has to feed them during this time! It is pretty amazing that Momma can do this, however.
Great Gray Owls aren't so timid when it comes to defending their nests. A male will charge at a human if he thinks the human is a threat, and try to scare the human off of his territory. Like a lot of owls, however, Great Gray Owls can learn to trust humans. At the very least, they'll figure out when a human is not a threat (it may take a few days, though). Then they'll sometimes hang in a tree near the human for some lengths of time.
Despite the fact that they're the biggest owls in North America, Great Gray Owls prefer to feed themselves with small prey, like shrews, voles, and stuff like that. They are very good hunters, and are equipped for the job... their eyesight and hearing is excellent! This is great because they primarily hunt at night, and need all the help they can get... though they have been known to hunt at dusk and dawn, and on overcast days. And hunting is also a time when Great Gray Owls aren't so timid... they have been known to dive headfirst into the snow to get their prey!!! Wow!!!