Animal Facts

The Great Horned owl's name comes from the feather tufts on its head, which resemble horns or ears. These owls are typically reddish-brown with lighter undersides and black bars on their feathers but they can be dark brown or even gray. Another very noticeable trait of these birds is their large bright yellow eyes, which can be a little disconcerting when they stare right at you. One of the larger owls, they can have a wingspan of three to almost five feet and weigh around three to five pounds. Females are larger than males but male vocalization tends to be deeper.

Just like most owls, Great Horned are nocturnal, becoming active at dusk. They have a wide variety of calls, including the recognizable 'hoo hoo hooooo' that most people associate with owls. These owls hunt a large variety of prey and will eat almost anything they can catch, from rodents and rabbits to other birds to frogs and toads. Great Horned owls are strong enough to carry off prey that's twice its size, even other owls aren't safe from these fierce hunters.

Nesting season starts in the winter, usually January into February. They don't build their own nests, they tend to use old nest of other birds or tree hollows. The females lay between one and four eggs which hatch in about a month's time. Both parents are very protective of their young, attacking anyone and anything that gets too close to their nest. The young start flying at 9-10 weeks old and stay around their parents' territory until fall before going off to find their own.