Great Horned Owl

The Great Horned Owl, (Bubo virginianus; BEW-boh ver-jin-ih-AY-nus), also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. It is closely related to the Lesser Horned Owl, which may be a separate species.

Other names
Big hoot owl, cat owl, chicken owl, eagle owl, hoot owl, horned owl, king owl, Virginia horned owl.

Description
They measure 45 - 64 cm in length, they weigh 900 - 2503 g and their wingspan is 91 - 152 cm. Females are 10-20% larger than males, they can weigh on average, 700 g more than the male.

The Great Horned Owl is a large owl with iconic yellow-orange eyes and two prominent feather tufts on the tops of their heads. These tufts gave the owl it's best-known name. The plumage of the owl can vary from a reddish brown to a grey or black and white; in Canada, can range from very dark in the Maritimes to almost as pale as the Snowy Owl. The underside is a light grey with dark bars and a white band of feathers on the throat. They have large feet that are feathered to the ends of the toes. The immature birds tend to resemble the adults.

In flight, as large as our American hawks; looks neckless and large-headed.

Similar species
Great Horned is larger than Long-eared Owl, Great Horned's ear tufts are more spread apart.

Snowy Owl is similar in size, but only the subarctic race of the Great Horned could be confused with the female Snowy.

The Lesser Horned Owl is smaller, and its range hardly overlaps in range; it is paler, with a smaller bill and weaker talons; below, it is more finely barred dark and light. It also has a different vocalization.

In northern parts of its American range, its distinctive calls may be confused with the Great Grey Owl. However, it lacks ear tufts and a has a large, rounded head, small yellow eyes and grey plumage with dark markings.

Behaviour
Nocturnal. In Colombia, it roosts and nests in tall palms at Carimagua, ne Meta (S. Furniss).

On December 4, 2014, a man named Steve Spitzer took video and photos of an owl swimming in Lake Michigan, Chicago. It was attempted to escape Peregrines that were harassing it.

Diet
It takes any prey from insect size to hares, geese and turkeys. In Colombia, it preys upon a variety of medium-sized mammals, such as coatis and rabbits, and two species of snipe in the Andes (Lehmann, 1946).

Here are some examples of its prey:

Calls
Call is a series of three to eight loud, deep hoots; second and third hoots often short and rapid, repeated fully or in part at intervals of several seconds, has great carrying power. Juvenile birds give off a raspy begging call.

The young follow the adults when on the wing, utter blood-curdling screams (hunger cries). Adults lean forward when hooting, vibrate their white throat feathers and lift their short tails, and respond to imitation of their cries.

Reproduction
It usually uses the nests of Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, heron and crow, or occasionally an old leaf nest of a squirrel; 15 - 70 ft up. Also, in rocky caves of cliffs, in hollows of trees and even on the ground.