Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Fun Facts About Great Horned Owls
Great horned owls are fierce predators! They can snatch other birds right from the air.
Great horned owls are named for the horn-like feathers on their heads.
Great horned owls have 14 bones in their neck that allow them to turn their heads 270°.
Where Do Great Horned Owls Live?
Great horned owls are found throughout most of North America and in portions of Central and South America. They can be found in many different habitats, from forests to grasslands to deserts!
What Do Great Horned Owls Eat?
Great horned owls are some of the fiercest predators in America! Like many other owls, great horned owls are carnivores and hunt many different animals. They easily catch small prey, like insects, mice, and rabbits, and can even snatch other birds right from the air!
What Do Great Horned Owls Look Like?
Great horned owls are named for the horn-like feathers on their heads! Their round faces house bright yellow eyes and a strong beak while their grey-brown feathers make them experts at camouflage. When perched among trees, you can barely see them! They stand up to 2-ft tall with a 4-ft wingspan.
Great Horned Owl Adaptations
Talons
Great horned owls have strong, sharp talons that they use when hunting! When prey is spotted, great horned owls fly talons-first towards the animal and grab it with their large claws.
Feathers
Like other owls, great horned owls depend on silent flight to sneak up on their prey. Their wings are quite large and have a special structure that makes them nearly silent when ambushing small animals.
Ears
A great horned owl's ears are hidden under feathers, but they still have an incredible sense of hearing that helps them hunt in the dark. One ear is slightly higher than the other, allowing them to sense the direction the sound is coming from.
Eyes
Like other owls, great horned owls have excellent vision to help them hunt both during the day and at night. Though they cannot move their eyes, they can turn their heads more than halfway around!
A Great Horned Owl's Home
Great horned owls will generally nest in large trees, but may also nest on cliff edges, abandoned buildings, or even saguaro cacti! They often use nests leftover from hawks or other large birds, which makes their nest-building job a little easier. Once a great horned owl finds a mate, usually by hooting, they will perform some bonding dances and lay up to 4 eggs in their nest. Both males and females will help care for the chicks until they are ready to go out and hunt on their own!
Great Horned Owls Social Life
Except for during the breeding season, great horned owls are normally solitary, meaning they like to live alone. Owls usually have a territory that they use to hunt and roost. Great horned owls will hoot to mark their territories and will even fight with owls who try to move in on their home!
Why Are Great Horned Owls Important?
Because of great horned owls' incredible diet, they are very important at keeping populations of smaller animals in check! Without predators like these owls, populations of insects, rodents, and other pesky animals would grow uncontrolled and throw ecosystems out of balance.
Are Great Horned Owls Endangered?
IUCN Rating: Least Concern
Luckily, great horned owl populations are strong! Because of their large range and the wide variety of food they eat, great horned owls are not threatened with extinction. The largest threats they face are poisoning and habitat loss. Because insects and rodents are often viewed as pests, humans use pesticides and other chemicals to kill them. Then, when owls consume those insects or rodents, they also consume the chemicals. As the human population expands, we build cities, farms, and roads in areas that used to be great horned owl territories and nesting sites. These two factors are the largest threat to great horned owl populations.
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