Which owl is the tallest living owl species?

The great gray owl is the tallest living owl species.

Its impressive height comes largely from its exceptionally long tail and wing feathers, rather than from a heavy body. The species can reach about 84 centimetres in length, making it appear enormous when perched. Its broad facial disc further increases the impression of size.

Great gray owls inhabit northern forests across North America and Eurasia. They often hunt from low perches, listening for small mammals beneath vegetation or snow. Their hearing is helped by the facial disc, and they can plunge through loose snow to seize prey.

Height and weight are different measurements in owls. The great gray owl is generally considered the tallest, while Blakiston’s fish owl is commonly recognized as the heaviest living owl. The Eurasian eagle-owl is also very large, but its bulk and wingspan do not make it the tallest species.