Very large owl with prominent ear tufts and vivid orange eyes. Very variable throughout range. Nominate race; buff-brown upper-parts, heavily marked with black, greyish (grayish) facial disk. Under-parts paler buff-brown with black streaks, and fine brown barring on belly, white throat. Becomes paler as you move eastwards in the northern parts of the range up to western Siberia, then progressively darker to Pacific coast.

Mainly remote rocky areas, river valleys, ravines, quarries etc. also open forest, Taiga, steppe and semi desert.

These powerful owls hunt aggressively and take a wide range of prey, from small rodents such as mice and rats, to their most common quarry of rabbit, up to much larger quarry of foxes and small deer. Although the larger quarry species will weigh far more than the Turkmanian Eagle Owl, the owl relies on the crushing power and sharp talons of its feet, which are capable of crushing with over 200 pounds of pressure per square inch!