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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing great horned owls. These birds get their common name from the tufts of feathers on their heads: they look like they have horns! These tufts may also be confused for ears, but owl ears are located asymmetrically on the sides of their heads. Great horned owls are also known as hoot owls for their iconic call. Perhaps the most well known owl call in the Americas, great horned owls sound like this. The best time to hear a great horned owl calling is at night especially during colder months.

These birds live in both North and South America. They are non-migratory but when it’s cold they may head to warmer locations temporarily. Other individuals remain in the same home range year round. Great horned owls live in forests and prefer places with open areas like ponds, fields, and creeks. They aren't limited to these places, though. Some can be found in human made landscapes like parks or suburban settings while others roost in foliage of desert-like regions. These are some of the most widespread owls in their range!

Great horned owls are most closely related to the larger Eurasian eagle owl. In their home range, the great horned owl may be confused with the similar looking long eared owl. Long eared owls are leaner than great horned owls and the long eared owl's face is longer. Their tufts are more prominent on top of their heads and they have a more surprised expression compared to the great horned owl. As with many owl species, female great horned owls are larger than males, though males have deeper, more complex calls. In size, they range from two to five and a half pounds (0.9-2.2kg) in weight and average three to five foot (91-152cm) wingspans.

Great horned owls will eat anything they can catch, even animals larger than them! Their main prey are rabbits and rodents, but they'll also take skunks, bats, house cats, and other mammals. Great horned owls also eat birds which they'll pluck prior to consuming. Ducks, swans, geese, and even other owls may end up on their menu. Periodically, great horned owls also eat snakes, lizards, frogs, and ground dwelling invertebrates like scorpions. When they seek out ground dwelling animals, they hunt by walking along the ground. They can even catch fish, though this is rare. These owls most frequently scan their surroundings atop a perch and dive silently down when food is found. They dispatch a meal quickly with their strong talons which can snap bones.

Great horned owls are considered the nocturnal counterpart to red tailed hawks for filling a similar ecological niche, but that doesn't mean their activity is limited to nighttime hours. Especially in winter, great horned owls search for prey during twilight and even daytime. When food can freeze, they store it away and return later, warming it up the same way they incubate their own eggs!

Great horned owls nest in vacated nests of other raptor species, but they'll also utilize natural dense vegetation, crooks of foliage, and even the ground! Their eggs and chicks are predated by foxes, coyotes, raccoons, and birds like ravens. One to five eggs are laid in a nest and these are incubated for about a month. The babies leave the nest about five weeks after hatching but can’t fly until they're about ten weeks old. They remain in their parent's territory until the next breeding season. Great horned owls breed early in the year and may begin laying as early as November in the northern hemisphere. They live at least two decades in the wild.

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