The Great Horned Owl is a large owl, measuring between 18 and 25 inches in length with a wingspan of more than four feet. Females are usually larger than the males. The plumage is brownish with mixtures of black and buff with some white present, especially under the chin. The eyes are very large and bright yellow in coloration. Great Horned Owls are noted for their large ear tufts. These ear tufts are actually feather arrangements called plumicorns which do not aid in hearing. They can be extended or flattened, depending on the mood of the owl. The legs and feet of the Great Horned Owl are feathered with two toes extending forward and two toes extending backwards. They have extremely powerful feet tipped with long, needle-sharp talons.
Great Horned Owls are found throughout much of North America, inhabiting primarily dry, upland hardwood forests. They are powerful, nocturnal hunters feeding on a variety of prey animals such as rabbits, rodents, and other small mammals and birds, including other smaller owls. The Great Horned Owl is one of the few animals which regularly includes skunks in its diet. Occasionally they have been known to take domestic poultry and even night roaming-house cats. Like other owls, the indigestible portions of their prey consisting of bones and fur, are coughed up by the bird in the form of a pellet. These pellets can often be found on the ground beneath their favored roosting and feeding sites.
Great Horned Owls begin calling for a mate as early as December and January. Their call is a series of about 4 to 7 low hoots. The eggs are usually laid in an old abandoned nest of another large bird such as a hawk or crow. From 2 to 4 eggs are laid, with incubation taking about a month. The young birds stay in the nest for 6 to 7 weeks and begin to fly when they are about 10 to 12 weeks of age. The female provides most of the care for the young. |