The great horned owl, bubo virginianus, is the most common owl in North and South America. They measure 18 to 25 inches (45 to 63 centimeters) long and weigh 2 to 5.5 pounds (1 to 2.5 kilograms). Their wingspan is an impressive 3.3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) from wingtip to wingtip. A great horned owl has tuft ears which resemble horns to some people and cat ears to others as well as barred feathers on the underside of its belly. They also have a bright white patch that is located on their throat which expands whenever they vocalize. Despite the common belief, these birds cannot turn their heads all the way around. They can, however, still turn their heads an impressive 270 degrees using their 14 neck vertebrae.
The great horned owl can be found throughout North, Central and South America (giving it the widest distribution of all owls). They will inhabit a wide variety of wooded habitats including swamps, forests, rocky areas, deserts, farmland and even urban areas. These birds are mostly nocturnal, but it is not uncommon for them to be active during the day as well as night. They do not build their own nests and instead use an old nest that has been built by hawks, eagles or any other large bird species. They will also make due with cliff ledges, cave entrances or even man-made structures.
The diet of a great horned owl consists of a variety of small to medium mammals (they are in fact one of the primary predators of skunks), birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects. They may even eat the remains of a dead animal (called carrion) if other food is scarce. These birds will use both their excellent eyesight and hearing to locate a potential meal. To further help increase their chances at catching prey, they have an opposable outer toe on each of their feet.
A great horned owl will begin searching for a mate in late fall and will have chosen one by December. Females will lay a clutch of 1 to 3 eggs in January or February which are incubated for 26 to 35 days. The hatchlings will begin to wander away from the nest at around 6 to 7 weeks of age, but don’t actually learn to fly until they are 10 to 12 weeks old. Both parents will take care of their young for about 5 months, at which time, they become independent. If the little ones can survive long enough, then they can live to be 5 to 12 years old on average (although there have been a few that have lived to be 20 years old).
The great horned owl is not considered an endangered species. It does, however, face many of the same threats as other animals such as habitat loss, hunting and death due to pesticides found in their food sources. Hopefully, the great horned owl can overcome its obstacles and continue its peaceful coexistence with people. After all, such a unique bird deserves to live and prosper for future generations to see.
