蝦夷貓頭鷹 / The Yezo Ural Owl

蝦夷貓頭鷹是廣闊分布於北半球的貓頭鷹的亞種。日本有四種亞種，棲息在北海道的亞種是蝦夷貓頭鷹。也棲息在札幌市近郊，在野幌森林公園、西岡公園和藻岩山也可常見到。全長為50公分，翅膀展開的話約1公尺，圓臉和黑色眼珠是其特徵。從3月左右開始產卵，小貓頭鷹在離巢之前大多待在巢穴中，在攝影愛好者當中也很受歡迎。

The Yezo Ural Owl is a subspecies of the Ural owl widely seen throughout the northern hemisphere. Four subspecies are in Japan; with the Yezo Ural Owl being the one found in Hokkaido. As a common bird in Hokkaido, they are often seen in Nopporo Forest Park, Nishioka Park and Mt. Moiwa in the Sapporo area. Their body length is about 50 centimeters while they have a wingspan of about one meter. They can be identified by their circular face with black eyes. From around March, they lay their eggs in nests built in holes of old trees. While warming their eggs, and until their children leave, they are often in the nest. They are popular for photo enthusiasts.