Which owl is the largest living owl by weight?

Blakiston’s fish owl is the largest living owl by weight.

Blakiston’s fish owl is a huge fish-eating owl of northeastern Asia. It lives near wooded rivers and streams in Russia’s Far East, northeastern China, Japan, and parts of the Korean Peninsula. Its size, large feet, and powerful talons reflect a lifestyle centered on aquatic prey.

The species is named after Thomas Blakiston, an English naturalist who collected specimens in the nineteenth century. It is closely associated with mature riparian forests, which provide nesting cavities, and clean, fast-flowing water, which supports fish and amphibians.

The owl is threatened by logging, river modification, dams, and declining prey habitat. Comparisons between “largest owl” records can vary depending on whether researchers use body mass, length, or wingspan. By body weight, however, Blakiston’s fish owl is generally recognized as the largest extant owl, while the Eurasian eagle-owl is often cited for other size comparisons.