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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
great
horned owl |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Strigiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Strigidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Bubo
(a horned owl) virginianus (from Virginia) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
great horned owl is a large owl with ear tufts and
barred feathers on the underside of its body. It
has a bright white patch at the throat, which expands
during vocalization. |
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| SIZE: |
Approximately
45-63 cm (18-25 in.); wingspan up to 1.5 m (5ft.) |
| FEMALE |
Females
usually are larger than males |
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| WEIGHT: |
Approximately
0.9-1.8 kg (2-4 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Animal
prey including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and
mammals; rodents are an important food source; can
even take prey as large as skunks and grouse |
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| INCUBATION: |
Approximately 32 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE: |
2-3
eggs |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
Approximately
2 years |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Ranging
from 5-12 years, with occassional individuals living
in excess of 20 years (particularly in zoological
settings) |
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| RANGE: |
Throughout
North America, Central America, and South America;
this species has widest distribution of any owl |
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| HABITAT: |
Found
wooded and open areas |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Great horned owls may be active during the day
or night, but are mostly nocturnal. During the
day they only cover about 1 square mile, so it
is rare to spot them in daylight.
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| 2. |
Less
than 3% of all bird species are active at night,
half of those are owls. Most owls have unique, comb
like feathers that allow for silent flight. The
leading edge is "fringed" so that the
feathers, when moving, do not make noise when rubbing
together. It is rare for the prey to hear an owl
swooping in. |
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| 3. |
Great
horned owls have the most identifiable call, which
sounds like: 'who-who-who-who'! |
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| 4. |
If
discovered during the day by small birds, it is
not uncommon for the smaller birds to mob and chase
away the owl. |
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| 5. |
It
is a myth that owls can turn their head all the
way around. Owls have 14 neck vertebrae, allowing
them to move their head 270 degrees. |
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| 6. |
Although
these birds have excellent eyesight, they are also
capable of catching prey using only their sense
of hearing. They have binocular vision and a hooked
beak so as not to interfere with their vision. Owls'
eyes look forward in a fixed position and cannot
move from side to side, as the human eye can. In
order to see peripherally, the owl must turn its
entire head. |
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| 7. |
Researchers
learn about the diet of owls by looking at castings,
or pellets of indigestible material such as bones
and fur that are regurgitated. |
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| 8. |
Owls
are considered good luck in some cultures, but in
others, they are feared as a sign of approaching
death. |
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| 9. |
Great
horned owls are one of the primary predators for
skunks in North America. They have an opposable
outer toe, which increases their ability to catch
prey. |
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| 10. |
These
owls do not build their own nest; rather they utilize
an old nest of a hawk, eagle, or any other large
bird species. |
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Great
horned owls play important roles as predators
throughout their range. Because they may
hunt during the day or night, and take prey of
various sizes and species, they have a large and
widespread impact on small animal populations.
This
species has suffered from habitat loss the most,
then hunting, and illnesses linked to pesticide
use.
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| |
|
|
| Gotch,
A.F. Birds - Their Latin Names Explained.
Dorset: Blandford Press, 1981. |
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|
Martin,
G. Birds by Night. London: T and AD Poyser,
Ltd., 1990.
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| National
Geography Society. 1983. Field Guide to the Birds
of North America. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C. |
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| Perrins,
C.M. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds.
New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1990. |
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| Peterson,
R.T. Peterson Field Guide: Eastern Birds.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1980. |
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| Hogle
Zoo. www.hoglezoo.org/birds/hornowl.htm |
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