<P> In Spain, incubation is from mid-January to mid-March, hatching and early nestling period is from late March to early April, fledging and post-fledging dependence can be anywhere from mid-April to August and territorial / courtship is anytime hereafter; i.e. the period between the beginning of juvenile dispersal to egg laying; from September to early January . The same general date parameters were followed in southern France . In the Italian Alps, the mean egg - laying date was similarly February 27 but the young were more likely to be dependent later, as all fledglings were still being cared for by the end of August and some even lingered under parental care until October . </P> <P> The first egg hatches after 31 to 36 days of incubation . The eggs hatch successively; although the average interval between egg - laying is three days, the young tend to hatch no more than a day or two apart . Like all owls that nest in the open, the downy young are often a mottled grey with some white and buff, which provides camouflage . They open their eyes at 4 days of age . The chicks grow rapidly, being able to consume small prey whole after roughly three weeks . In Andalusia, it was found that the most noticeable development of the young before they leave the nest was the increase of body size, which was the highest growth rate of any studied owl and faster than either snowy or great horned owls . Body mass increased fourteen times over from 5 days old to 60 days old in this study . The male continues to bring prey, leaving in on or around the nest, and the female feeds the nestlings, tearing up the food into suitably - sized pieces . The female resumes hunting after about three weeks which increases the food supply to the chicks . Siblicide has been recorded widely in Eurasian eagle - owls and, according to some authorities, is almost a rule in the species . Many nesting attempts produce two fledglings, indicating that siblicide is not as common as in other birds of prey, especially some eagles . It has been theorized in Spain that males are likely to be the first egg laid to reduce the likelihood of sibling aggression due to the size difference, thus the younger female hatchling is less likely to be killed since it is similar in size to its older sibling . </P> <P> Apparently, the point at which the chicks venture out of the nest is driven by the location of the nest . In elevated nest sites, chicks usually wander out of the nest at 5 to as late as 7 weeks of age, but have been recorded leaving the nest if the nest is on the ground as early as 22 to 25 days old . The chicks can walk well at five weeks of age and by seven weeks are taking short flights . Hunting and flying skills are not tested prior to the young eagle - owls leaving the nest . Young Eurasian eagle - owls leave the nest by 5--6 weeks of age and typically can be flying weakly (a few metres) by about 7--8 weeks of age . Normally, they are cared for at least another month . By the end of the month, the young eagle - owls are quite assured fliers . There are a few confirmed cases of adult eagle - owls in Spain feeding and caring for post-fledgling juvenile eagle - owls that were not their own . </P> <P> A study from southern France found the mean fledgling number of fledgling per nest was 1.67 . In central Europe, the mean number of fledglings per nest averages between 1.8 and 1.9 . The mean fledgling rate in the Italian Alps was 1.89, thus being similar . In the Italian Alps it was found that heavier rainfall during breeding decreased fledgling success because it inhibited the ability of the parents to hunt and potentially exposed nestlings to hypothermia . In the reintroduced population of eagle - owls in Eifel, Germany, occupied territories produced an average of 1.17 fledglings but not all occupying pair attempted to breed, with about 23% of those attempting to breed being unsuccessful . In slightly earlier studies, possibly due to higher persecution rates, the mean number of young leaving the nest was often lower, such as 1.77 in Bavaria, Germany, 1.1 in lower Austria and 0.6 in southern Sweden . While sibling owls are close in the stage between leaving the nest and fully fledged, about 20 days after leaving the nest, the family unit seems to dissolve and the young disperse quickly and directly . All told, the dependence of young eagle - owls on their parents last for 20 to 24 weeks . Independence in central Europe is from September to November . The young leave their parents care normally on their own but are also sometimes chased away by their parents . The young Eurasian eagle - owls reach sexual maturity by the following year, but do not normally breed until they can establish a territory at around two or three years old . Until they are able to establish their own territories, young eagle - owls spend their life as nomadic "floaters" and, while they also call, select inconspicuous perch sites unlike breeding birds . Male floaters are especially wary about intrusion into an established territory to avoid potential conspecific aggression . </P>

Where does the eurasian eagle owl live in the eastern or western hemisphere