to some authorities, this race includes previously recognized subspecies of S. u. daurica, S. u. taibanai and S. u. corrensis. This race is found in Transbaikal north and east to Vitim, Sakhalin and south to the Korean peninsula. This race is quite small, being smaller than all races to the west of it and only mildly larger than the Ural owls of Japan. The wing chord of males is and that of females is . One male weighed while a small sample of females weighed . More so than other Russian subspecies, this race is similar to S. u. liturata in Europe but distantly separated in distribution. Compared to that race as well as the sometimes overlapping S. u. yenisseensis, in S. u. nikolskii the head, nape and shoulders typically have a brownish colour (suggesting a cape) which is contrasted more strongly with the whiter light areas.S. u. fuscescens (Temminck & Schlegel, 1847)- This Japanese race is found from western and southern Honshu to Kyushu. This race is quite small. Despite being sometimes opined as the smallest race, it appears to be slightly larger than the Ural owls found in Hokkaido. The wing chord of males is and that of females is . The upperparts are marked with a distinct yellowish rufescent-brown colour. Meanwhile, the underparts are yellowish rusty with dark brown streaks and often are overlaid with rounded white spots. The feathering of the toes and tarsi are solidly brownish.S. u. hondoensis (Clark 1907)- This race may include S. u. japonica. If it includes japonica, this race is found throughout Hokkaido down through northern and central Honshu. Quite to the contrary of Bergmann's rule, northern owls in Hokkaido are the smallest ones, and indeed the smallest known in the entire Ural owl species, while southerly owls are slightly larger. Otherwise birds from the different islands are similar in appearance. The wing chord of males is and that of females is . Tail length in Hokkaido is while in Honshu it is . Compared to other Japanese birds (i.e. S. u. fuscescens) and indeed most other races is of a rather rusty brown colour overall, while most individuals show little to no white speckling on the head, back and mantle. Distribution The Ural owl has a large distribution. In mainland Europe, its modern distribution is quite spotty, with the species being found in central Europe in southeastern Germany, central and