Eagle Owl (Wings of the World by Safari Ltd.)

Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972

The Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo), or simply eagle owl, is one of the two biggest owl species (the other being Blakiston’s fish owl, B. blakistoni). A female, which like all owls, grows larger than the male, can achieve a wingspan of more than six feet and weigh 4.6 kg(10 lbs), close to the size of a golden eagle.

This eagle owl is the lone bird in the 2020 assortment from Safari Ltd. It is sculpted in a hunched over pose with its wings folded up and its head turned sharply to look over its left shoulder. Like all owls, the eagle owl is capable of rotating its head 270 degrees in either direction, so it might have been nifty if this toy was sculpted with its face turned to look directly behind it. On the other hand, perhaps that might have turned off some people from buying it.

Appropriately, this is currently the biggest owl figure in Safari’s Wings of the World series, measuring just over 5 cm tall and 8.5 cm long. Its main colours are light and dull brown with lots of dark brown spots all over the head, wings, and back, and a few white spots on the wingtips and tail feathers. The talons and bill are black, the face is splashed with white, and the huge glaring eyes are medium orange. Very dark brown accents have been applied to the ear tufts and face, making it appear as though this owl is sporting an enormous moustache.

Sculpting feathers is no easy task, but the ones this eagle owl look very nice indeed. They range from tiny, fluffy feathers on the face to larger, thicker ones covering the body and to the primaries and secondaries on the wings. The talons are slightly curved, but much smaller and stubbier than the real deal, which is possibly for safety reasons. And finally, the owl’s face is simply fantastic, with a penetrating gaze befitting this magnificent hunter. The eagle owl inhabits a vast range of habitats, from coniferous forests to mountains to desert edges. Much of its diet consists of rodents, rabbits, and other small mammals such as hedgehogs. But due to its great size and strength, it also goes after other owls, other birds of prey such as falcons and buzzards, geese, small dogs and cats, and even young deer!

Between its large size, meticulous sculpting, and regal appearance, the Safari eagle owl is an all-around winner, one that I strongly recommend to any animal toy collector.