Up Close With the Great Gray Owl
With their piercing yellow eyes and soft gray plumage, the great gray owl (Strix nebulosa) has an almost otherworldly presence. They slip silently through northern forests and meadows, often going unseen even in places where they’re common. For many photographers, catching sight of one feels like a rare gift. Our photo workshops and tours in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, the Canadian Rockies, and Alaska provide opportunities to observe and photograph this elusive owl in its wild habitat.
Autumn in Grand Teton. A great gray owl framed by the season’s yellow glow.
Perched above the snowy boreal forest, the great gray waits in stillness. Photo credit: Jenny Bowlden.
Nine Facts About the Great Gray Owl
World’s Largest Owl by Length
Great gray owls measure up to 33 inches tall with wingspans nearly 5 feet. Despite their size, they’re lighter than many smaller owls because of their fluffy plumage. A great gray owl weighs only 2–3 pounds, much less than a snowy owl or great horned owl.
Facial Disk Superpowers
Their enormous round facial disk funnels sound to their ears, letting them detect the faintest rustle of a vole under snow.
Snow Hunters
They can plunge through snowpack up to 18 inches deep to catch prey they’ve located entirely by sound.
Irruption Years
When vole numbers crash in the north, great gray owls sometimes move south in large numbers. These “irruptions” are unpredictable, but birders and photographers suddenly find owls in places far outside their usual range, including the northern U.S.
No Nest-Building
They never build their own nests. Instead, they use abandoned raptor nests, broken treetops, or artificial nest platforms.
Courtship in Winter
Pairs begin courtship in February and March. The male feeds the female as part of the bond.
Young Leave Early
Nestlings climb out onto branches at 3–4 weeks old, before they can fly. This “branching” spreads them out to lower predation risk.
Minimal Aggression
Unlike great horned owls, they rarely fight other raptors, sticking to vole-heavy hunting grounds instead.
Nicknamed the “Phantom of the North”
Their ghostly appearance and silent presence in shadowy forests inspired this name.
Half hidden, half revealed. A great gray owl keeps watch.
Where We See Great Gray Owls on Our Tours
We’ve photographed great gray owls on our tours in several wild places. In Yellowstone and Grand Teton, we search the forests, meadows, and open valleys where voles are abundant. Their camouflage and quiet presence make every sighting memorable, whether they’re framed by golden aspens in the fall or perched along a meadow’s edge. In the Canadian Rockies, the mix of boreal forest and mountain meadows creates excellent hunting grounds. And in Alaska, the vast boreal forests stretching across the state hold healthy populations.
Spotting great gray owls is never a sure thing. Encounters take patience and persistence, along with a deep understanding of their habitat.
Tips for Spotting and Photographing Great Gray Owls
Best time: Dawn and dusk when they’re hunting voles.
Where to look: Low perches along meadows and forest edges.
Photography tip: Use a wide aperture and higher ISO for low light.
Be ready for action: Watch for head tilts, a sign they’re about to dive.
Use patience, not playback: Calls rarely work on great grays and can stress them. Quiet persistence in a good habitat is best.
On our photo tours and workshops, we’ve learned that persistence and local knowledge often make the difference in finding these elusive owls. Hours of quiet searching can pass without a single sighting, only to be rewarded with an unforgettable moment when a great gray suddenly appears on a perch or glides silently across a meadow. Knowing the right habitats and returning to promising areas are what turn chance encounters into meaningful opportunities.
Conservation Status
Great gray owls are not considered globally threatened, but local populations can decline when old forests are logged or when prey numbers crash.
Great gray owls are not considered globally threatened, but local populations can decline when old forests are logged or when prey numbers crash.
