# Great Horned Owl (*Bubo virginianus*) The Great Horned Owl is a strong and powerful bird with tufted ears that look like horns! It can be found in many different places and loves to hunt at night. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 100 - **Habitat:** Forests, deserts, and urban areas - **Also known as:** Cat Owl, Tiger Owl ![Great Horned Owl](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426103/objects/4603.jpg) ## Appearance The Great Horned Owl is a large, powerful owl with prominent ear tufts resembling horns and striking yellow eyes. It has mottled grayish-brown plumage, a white throat patch, and horizontal barring on its chest, providing excellent camouflage. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Strigiformes - **Family:** Strigidae - **Genus:** Bubo ## Interesting facts - An owlet's first flight is called fledging, and it's a clumsy, wobbly adventure! - Great Horned Owls often steal nests from hawks or squirrels, instead of building their own. - Their powerful grip is strong enough to crush the bones of small animals. - They can hunt and eat skunks without being bothered by their defensive spray! ## Special abilities - **Silent Flight:** Great Horned Owl has specialized feather fringes that help them fly almost silently, allowing them to surprise prey. - **Extreme Head Rotation:** Great Horned Owl can rotate its head nearly 270 degrees because its eyes are fixed, allowing a very wide field of view. - **Pinpoint Hearing:** Great Horned Owl has asymmetrically placed ear openings that help them pinpoint sounds with extreme accuracy, even in darkness. - **Crushing Talons:** Great Horned Owl has incredibly strong talons that help them grasp and carry prey much heavier than themselves. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 46-63 cm - **Wingspan:** 101-153 cm - **Weight:** 0.9-2.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 13-19 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-5 - **Incubation:** 30-37 days ## Diet & Feeding These fierce hunters eat almost any animal they can catch, from tiny mice to large hares! - **Age differences:** Young owlets are fed by parents; juveniles learn to hunt by practicing on smaller prey. - **Primary Foods:** rodents, rabbits, skunks, birds, snakes, large insects - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) — A frequent and important food source for owls. - **Hunts:** Striped Skunk (*Mephitis mephitis*) — One of the only predators that regularly eats skunks. - **Depends on:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — Often reuses their abandoned nests for raising owlets. - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — Juvenile or injured owls can sometimes fall prey to them. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Ambush Predator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ambush-predator): An ambush predator hunts by patiently waiting and concealing itself, then launching a sudden attack when unsuspecting prey comes within range. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Great Horned Owl? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Great Horned Owl? 46-63 cm ### What is Great Horned Owl's wingspan? 101-153 cm ### How much does Great Horned Owl weigh? 0.9-2.5 kg ### How long does Great Horned Owl live? 13-19 years ### How fast can Great Horned Owl move? 60 km/h ### What does Great Horned Owl eat? These fierce hunters eat almost any animal they can catch, from tiny mice to large hares! ### Where is Great Horned Owl usually found? Forests, deserts, and urban areas ## Where to spot - [Alder Creek Grove](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alder-creek-grove) — California, US · Forest - [Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/antelope-valley-california-poppy-reserve-state-natural-reserve) — California, US · State Park - [Arroyo Conejo Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arroyo-conejo-open-space) — California, US · Park - [Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/black-diamond-mines-regional-preserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Blake Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blake-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Boerner Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boerner-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Great Horned Owl](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/great-horned-owl) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Great Horned Owl: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-horned-owl)