In addition to being one of the largest living species of owl, the Eurasian eagle-owl is also one of the most widely distributed. With a total range in Europe and Asia of about 32 million km2 (12 million sq mi) and a total population estimated to be between 250 thousand and 2.5 million, the IUCN lists the bird's conservation status as being of least concern. The vast majority of eagle-owls live in mainland Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, and an estimated 12 to 40 pairs are thought to reside in the United Kingdom as of 2016, a number which may be on the rise. Tame eagle-owls have occasionally been used in pest control because of their size to deter large birds such as gulls from nesting.