The Great Horned Owl
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A Phenomenal Hunter
The Great Horned Owl is a phenomenal hunter. When it recognizes the sound of prey, it will hop from tree to tree until it pinpoints the source. Then it silently swoops in with its talons wide and pounces on the unsuspecting prey.
The Great Horned Owl
Description
The Great Horned Owl is a large bird measuring 18 to 25 inches in length with
a wingspan of up to 5 feet. It is a dark brown to reddish-brown owl with a squared off head. Its face is dominated by large tufts or "horns" and big yellow eyes with a distinctive stark white throat patch. The breast of the Great Horned Owl is a mottle gray and its belly barred. Its feet are large and feathered clear down to the toes.
Range and Habitat
The Great Horned Owl's range extends throughout most of North and South America. They are less common in areas with extreme climate conditions such as the tundra in the winter and deserts in the summer. They are a highly adaptable bird and can be found in a variety of habitats such as city parks and residential areas. Their preferred terrain is densely forested regions with a mixture of conifers and hardwoods.
Tiger in the Sky
The Great Horned Owl has been called the "tiger in the sky" because of its fierce nature and its willingness to go after a wide variety of prey, including ones that outweigh it.
Mating and Nesting
The Great Horned Owl utilizes the nests other birds (usually the Red-tailed Hawk's). The nests can be found in hollowed out trees, on man-made platforms, cliff ledges or cave entrances. The clutch usually consists of 1 to 3 eggs and is incubated for 26 to 35 days. The young start branching (hopping out of the nest onto a nearby branch) between 6 and 7 weeks, but don't fully learn to fly until 10 to 12 weeks of age. The fledglings stay close to their parents for up to 5 months.
The Great Horned Owl is a solitary bird except during mating season. The males will roost close to the nest until the young fledge and then take off.
Diet
Considered one of the most voracious raptors, the Great Horned Owl feeds on a wide variety of prey, such as waterfowl, rabbits, squirrels, birds, and rodents. When given the choice, the Great Horned Owl will go for the largest available prey. Larger prey offers a greater return on the energy expended to capture it.
The Great Horned Owl uses a variety of hunting techniques. The favored method is the perch-and-wait. When spotting prey from a perch, the Great Horned Owl will dive down with its wings folded and snatch the prey with its talons. With 500 pounds per square inch of crushing power in their talons, the prey is usually killed instantly.
Another method is to walk along the ground or wade in the water and grab whatever crosses its path. It will also fly low to the ground and snatch up its prey on the fly. It is a nocturnal hunter, but will hunt during the day when food is scarce.
Nikon Monarch Binoculars
Nikon 7295 Monarch ATB 10x42 Binocular
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The Great Horned Owl
Owls of the United States and Canada
Owls of the United States and Canada: A Complete Guide to Their Biology and Behavior
Amazon Price: $21.15 (as of 05/30/2012)![]()
Wayne Lynch began work as a full-time science writer and photographer in 1979. Today he is the author of numerous award-winning books and television documentaries and one of Canada's best-known and most widely published photographers.
Owls of the World: Their Lives, Behavior and Survival
Owls of the World: Their Lives, Behavior and Survival
Amazon Price: $239.95 (as of 05/31/2012)![]()
Reviews Posted on Amazon.com
A fascinating portrait of 205 species of owl... explores myth and legends... intriguing facts are brought to light. -- Suzanne Hively, Cleveland Plain Dealer 11/26/2003
Copious color photographs effectively illustrate concepts and enhance the book's visual appeal... a valuable addition to any natural history collection. -- Catherine Jeanjean, Library Journal 12/01/2003
Some of My Favorite Owls


Little Brothers
The Barred Owl
The Common Barn Owl
The Eastern Screech-owl

Big Brothers
The Great Grey Owl
The Great Horned Owl
The Snowy Owl
Hawks and Owls of the Great Lakes Region and Eastern North America
by Chris G. Earley
Hawks and Owls of the Great Lakes Region and Eastern North America
Amazon Price: $3.29 (as of 05/31/2012)![]()
A nice handy guide to hawks and owls, especially for beginners and less experienced birders... Robert E. Hoopes, Wildlife Activist 06/2004
An excellent identification guide... the photos are well chosen... the text is clear and concise. Jim Williams, Minneapolis Star Tribune 08/18/2004
Have you seen any interesting birds lately?
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intermarks
Apr 2, 2012 @ 5:43 am | delete
- Owl is a beautiful birds. I have one when I was a teenager and it lasted about 2 months before my father let it goes away.
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seline
Dec 21, 2011 @ 7:14 pm | delete
- i love the great horned owl and blah blah
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JeanJohnson
Jul 4, 2011 @ 5:25 pm | delete
- I'm hoping to find one of these sometime, thank you for this lens, i look forward to searching one out. Amazing pictures
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linhah May 24, 2011 @ 4:26 pm | delete
- Great photos, lensrolling to My Pal The Great Horned Owl. I saw this lens on Digg.
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LOLteez
Feb 17, 2011 @ 9:15 am | delete
- I love Great Horned Owls - so beautiful! Lensrolled to Owl Shirts and Gifts.
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About the Author
Bird Watcher's Digest
Bird Watchers Digest
Amazon Price: $16.99 (as of 05/30/2012)![]()
Keep current with what's happening in the birding world. Bird Watcher's Digest offers great articles and pictures, as well as information on conservation efforts and research. I receive several birding magazines each month but its Bird Watcher's that has me dropping everything to sit down and read.
6 issues/12 months
Resources used to construct this page.
Lynch, W. 2007. Owls of the United States and Canada. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.
Great Horned Owl, University of Minnesota Raptor Center
Great Horned Owl, Carolina Raptor Center
Great Horned Owl, The Peregrine Fund
by ElizabethJeanAllen
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