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Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus)

© Diana Pederson

People have attributed various human characteristics to owls throughout history. The Greeks depicted their goddess of wisdom as an owl. Even today, pictures of the great horned owl are used to symbolize the "wise old owl." Early Romans and some Native American Indians believed that owls were messengers of death. Europeans and American settlers associated the owl with witches and the devil.

What Do They Look Like?

The great horned owl is 18-25 inches long and has a wingspread of 48-60 inches. It weighs 3-5 pounds. The plumage (feathers) of the great horned owl is very mottled. Its back is dark brown with black bars which look like broken or uneven stripes. The throat is white. Its ear tufts are edged in black. The owl appears to have eyebrows (actually feathers). Its facial disk (face--made up of feathers) is reddish in color and is surrounded by a wide white collar. The owl's breast is white or buff with dark brown or black barring. Both sexes share the same coloration. Females are about 1/3 larger than males. Its large head, flat face, short neck and white throat make it easy to identify when seen in flight. Its large yellow eyes are also distinctive.

Where Do They Live?

Great horned owls are familiar to most Americans. They live in most of North America and range from the Arctic to South America. Owl populations vary widely even in excellent habitat, but the reasons for this are not well-known. It is believed that prey abundance plays a role.

Great horned owls maintain permanent home ranges. The home range must provide food and water on a year-round basis. The size of a specific owl's home range will vary widely depending on the topography (layout of the land), type of plant life and various other environmental conditions. The home range can vary from hundreds of acres to several miles in size.

The great horned owl's home range normally includes a large woodland, adjacent fields and smaller woodlots. Choice habitat includes nesting sites, daytime roosting sights, and good hunting territory.

Owls use nests of other large birds such as crows and hawks, and large tree hollows. Others use cliff ledges, or caves as nesting sites. During daylight hours, the great horned owl needs a roost which is not easily visible. They prefer roost trees located some distance away from other trees in the area. Open fields and forest edges serve as hunting territory.