Big huhurezul | Facts & Information

Origin

In Romania, the great huhurezul is considered to be a rarer species, having, in general, relatively small populations in all spreading spaces. It is a sedentary bird that prefers dense forests in the hilly and mountainous areas, especially coniferous ones.

The word "strix" denoted in Latin and Greek a category of raptors, including the huhurezul, which in folklore were considered birds foretelling diseases and misfortunes.

Since ancient times various legends have circulated about strix. In one it is said that Polyphonte, daughter of the river god Strymon retired to the mountain and became a chaste disciple of Artemis, goddess of hunting, neglecting Aphrodite's patronizing activities such as love and marriage.

Aphrodite became angry and made Polyphonte fall in love with a bear and marry him, which now upset Artemis who turned all the animals against her. Polyphonte returned to his parental home where he gave birth to two twin boys, Orius and Agrius, half-humans, half-bears. The twins were cannibals and despised gods and humans in equal measure.

Zeus ordered Hermes to punish the two, and he decided to separate them, but Ares, The father of the God Strymon, the great-grandfather of the Twins, resisted, however, they were turned into Raptors: Orius, in Cuckoo, and Agrius, in Eagle.

Their mother herself, Polyphonte, was transformed into a huhurez, who was believed to never drink or eat, foreshadowing Wars. The maid who intervened so that her Mistress would not be metamorphosed was, in turn, transformed into green woodpecker, a bird that is believed to be good for hunters.

In the Latin word "strix" the Romanian words have their origin: shout (meaning imaginary being that torments small children, but also huhurez), strigoi, strigoi (ghost, moroi, pricolici, werewolf, aratare, ghost, naluca).

The Great Huhurezul food

It is a redoubtable Hunter due to its very good night vision, but especially hearing and hover flight, silent.

Its diet consists mainly of small rodents, reptiles, frogs, large insects, but also of birds, not only of the smallest.

They hunt, occasionally, blackbirds, Jays, pigeons or grouse gainuses.

Features of the large Huhurez

It is called huhurez-large because it has a length around 60 cm and weight between 500 and 1300g (unlike the huhurez-small (Strix aluco) which has about 40 cm and under 500 g weight); wingspan is between 105-116 cm, their length is around 35-40 cm, and tail 30 cm.

Both the size and other features such as: the color of the feathers, the disc of the face and the color of the beak distinguish it from the little huhurezul-a bird much more widespread in US.

It shows no apparent sexual dimorphism, but the male is slightly smaller and somewhat lighter than the female.

The plumage of the back is gray-brown with prolonged gray-gray drawings, with erased, transverse spots on the large feathers; the chest is brown or whitish and with dark splashes, in longitudinal stripes.

It has two clean, bright, spotless grey Facial Discs surrounded by fine mottled splashes. The eyes are small, the beak yellow and the tail long, with transverse stripes. The fingers are covered with feathers up to the claws.

It is very aggressive when it comes to defending its territory, not wanting to attack the human, especially if it has cubs.

Reproduction of the great Huhurezul

It makes its nest in hollows or takes it ready from gaits or Crows, at heights of up to 20 m and occasionally even on the ground, in cracks of stones or between roots.

The hatching season begins in March. The female lays 3-4 eggs, which she hatches about a month.

During this time the male provides her food, a duty that is extended for another month, however the mother is the one who distributes the food to the offspring.

After about 90 days after leaving the egg, the chicks leave the nest, without moving away from the small area around it.

In years with little food it does not reproduce. He also lives 15 years in freedom and up to 25 years in captivity.