The Great Horned Owl scientifically known as Bubo virginianus are a large species of true owls. They are sometimes called tiger owls or hoot owls. These nocturnal avian hunters take a wide range of prey including mammals, other birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
This owl ranges from North America, Central America and South America, and interestingly, does not exist in Guatemala, El Salvador. The great horned owl does exist in Guyana but is considered “uncommon”. It can be heard in the Botanical Gardens and sometimes in bush islands of the North Rupununi and is easily recognized by its upright stocky shape and ear tufts.
Description Of The Great Horned Owl
They range in length from 17 to 25 inches, have a wingspan of up to five feet, and an average weight of 3.2 pounds. They are the second heaviest owl in North America (after the Snowy Owl), and they are powerful hunters that can grip and crush a full-grown rabbit: their talons form an oval between 4–8 inches in diameter.
Because they remain largely inactive during the day, great horned owls are cryptically colored—that is, their coloration is patchy so that they can blend with their surroundings while they rest. They have a rust-brown colored facial disk and white feathers on their chin and throat. Their body is a mottled grey and brown color above and barred on the belly.
Habitat Of The Great Horned Owl
Great horned owls occupy the most extensive range of any owl species, including most boreal forests of North and South America, from Alaska and Canada, southward throughout the United States and Mexico, into Northern parts of South America and throughout Patagonia.
Since they find hunting is somewhat difficult in thick forests and underbrush, owls prefer habitats with open clearings near secondary-growth, woodlands and tree-edged meadows and swaths. They also adapt well to human-modified environments, agricultural fields and suburban areas where there are places to perch and open fields to hunt in.
Diet Of The Great Horned Owl
Great horned owls are carnivores who eat a very wide range of prey. Like all owls, these fascinating carnivores eat their prey whole and then regurgitate “pellets” containing fur and crushed bones. Usually active at night, they are also sometimes spotted during the late afternoon or during the hours around dawn.
These unique and beautiful birds prefer to eat rabbits and hares but will settle for any small mammal, bird, reptile, or amphibian that comes within its reach. They are the only animal that feeds on skunks; they also hunt birds such as American crows, peregrine falcon nestlings, and osprey nestlings. They require an average of 2–4 ounces of meat per day; larger animals are killed and may be fed on for several days.
Reproduction Of The Great Horned Owl
Great horned owls nest during the months of January and February. During mating season, male and female great horned owls hoot back and forth to each other in a duet. Their mating rituals also include bowing to each other and rubbing bills. When ready to nest, they do not build their own nest but instead seek out existing sites such as the nests of other birds, squirrel nests, tree holes, crevices in rocks and nooks in buildings. Some great horned owls mate for many years.
When prey is available, nesting begins earlier in the year; in leaner years, nesting is later and sometimes owls will not lay eggs during very poor years
15 Interesting Facts About The Great Horned Owl
- Great horned owls are one of the heaviest owls. They are the second largest owls in North America but in South America great horned owls are the biggest. The heaviest owl ever recorded at 2,503 grams and that was of a female.
- Not only they are highly nocturnal, hoot owls live a sedentary lifestyle. During daytime great horned owls mostly spend time roosting in large trees where they are well camouflaged. Although they are active at dusk, owls do hunt before noon when they are extremely hungry.
- They have a variety of calls one that depends on the bird’s mood and the situation. The parents will utter low-pitched sounds like ho-ho-o-o, whoo-hoo-o-o, whoo but they are known to produce some strange sounds as well for instance wha-a-a-a-ah, a high-pitched ank, ank, ank; a weak, soft erk, erk.
- Adult owls have cat-like face so much so that sometimes the bird is also called ‘Cat Owl’. They have tufted horn-like feathers right at the top of their head but scientists probably don’t know what good they are if they have nothing to do with the owl’s hearing sense.
- The great horned owl has a huge appetite. Everything that moves, crawls, runs, swims, or even flies is most likely to fall prey to a great horned owl. It is a highly opportunistic animal but unlike other birds of prey the hoot owl is an ambush hunter.
- As is typical of owl, the great horned owl has excellent hearing sense and vision. Since the bird largely hunts at night it relies predominantly on its hearing sense to take on the prey. The owl’s ears are hidden underneath its soft feathers but these feathers do not seem to hinder the sound waves.
- Owls can’t see in darkness that is not say that they are blind. But in fact, they rely on their hearing sense more than any other sense to hunt animals at night. However, during daytime they will owe their hunting to their remarkable eyesight. Great horned owls have binocular field of vision.
- Scientists have named around 20 subspecies of great horned owls out of only 10 subspecies are confirmed and recognized.
- Females are 20% bigger than the males. Depending on the subspecies, adults reach the size of 43 to 64 cm with the maximum wingspan of 153 cm.
- Great horned owls are often get harassed by a large flock of ravens and crows because owls usually attack and eat them. Therefore, when crows grow in numbers they retaliate in a similar fashion.
- tudies suggest that almost 50% of owls could not reach maturity. Most of young owls die when they are about to leave the nest. The first flight isn’t always awkward, sometimes very awkward—it’s highly risky. During fledging, juvenile great horned owls fall from the tree and get killed.
- They are found in all over North America, South America and Central America. Great horned owls likely make homes in tropical rainforests, deciduous, coniferous forests, mangrove swamps, and mountainous areas. They are however absent from arctic treeless tundra where their closest relative, snow owl breeds.
- Great horned owls have cryptic plumage one that helps them in camouflaging. Plus, they don’t make the slightest sound while flying as their feathers are so built that the air breaks up when it strikes the bird’s wings.
- The great horned owl is most likely to hunt between 2030 and 0000 hours. They can even hunt in a moonless night but as I said it earlier, owls rely on their hearing sense to hunt prey.
- If the prey is small like rodents, the owl will swallow it all . They aren’t even scared to take on a dangerous predator such as skunks which are known to spray their predators. However, the owl appears to be comfortable in handling skunks.
About The Great Horned Owl
The great horned owl is the large species of true owls. Sometimes called tiger owls and hoot owls. They can be found in North and South America, including Guyana. They are also the heaviest of owls. They have excellent hearing and vision sense. They eat rodents, reptiles, amphibians and sometimes other birds. In Guyana, it can be heard in the Botanical Gardens and sometimes in bush islands of the North Rupununi and is easily recognized by its upright stocky shape and ear tufts.
Article References:
- https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-great-horned-owls-130536
- https://greathornedowl.net/great-horned-owl-interesting-facts/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl
