Great Horned Owl

Meet "Aspen" (pictured below on left) and "Juniper" (pictured below on right). Aspen and Juniper are both Great Horned Owls who suffer from vision impairment.

About Great Horned Owls
(Information taken from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Found from the Arctic tundra to the tropical rainforest, from the desert to suburban backyards, the Great Horned Owl is one of the most widespread and common owls in North America.

Description

• Size: 46-63 cm (18-25 in)
• Wingspan: 101-145 cm (40-57 in)
• Weight: 910-2500 g (32.12-88.25 ounces)
• Large owl.
• Prominent ear tufts widely spaced on head.
• Body brown and gray with dark barring.
• Throat white.
• Orange facial disk outlined in black.
• Eyes yellow.
• Bill dark.
• Some forms pale gray to white.

Sex Differences

• Sexes alike in plumage; female larger.

Immature

• Immature like adult. Fledges from nest while still downy around the head and without noticeable ear tufts.

Food

• Broad diet of animals, from small mammals to rabbits, geese, and herons. Some birds, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates, but mostly mammals.

Range

Summer Range:

• Resident across North America from northern Alaska and Canada through Mexico to Nicaragua. Also in South America to Tierra del Fuego.

Habitat

• Found in a wide variety of habitats, but prefers open and secondary-growth woodlands and agricultural areas.
• Also in boreal forest, desert, and suburban and urban areas.

Behavior

Foraging:

• Hunts at night, mostly from perches next to open areas.

Reproduction

Nest Type:

• Uses a variety of nest sites, including trees, cliffs, buildings, and the ground. Does not make its own nest. Typically takes over nests in trees made by other bird species. Often puts nest in hollows or broken-off snags in trees.

Egg Description:

• White, close to spherical.

Clutch Size:

• Usually 2 eggs. Range: 1-5.

Condition at Hatching:

• Helpless and covered with white down.

Conservation Status

• Not endangered; populations robust. Individuals may be threats to endangered species.

Sound

• Call a deep hooting "hoo-h'HOO--hoo-hoo." Young make a loud, raspy screech.

Our Other Educational Birds:

American Kestrel
Bald Eagle
Barn Owl
Barred Owl
Great Blue Heron
Great Horned Owl
Peregrine Falcon
Red Tailed Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Rough Legged Hawk
Snowy Owl
Screech Owl
Trumpeter Swan
Turkey Vulture

Home - Our Profile - Rescue Information - Raptor News
Educational Programs - Patients - How You Can Help - Donate
Raptor Sponsorship - Calendar of Events - Related Links - Contact Us