The great horned is the most common owl of both North and South America. It has yellow eyes and distinctive ear tufts.
Strigidae
The large family of “true” owls is found worldwide except for Antarctica and a few islands. Different species vary greatly in size, but all have upright bodies; large, broad heads; large, long, broad wings; short tails; and sharp talons.
Owls have a variety of traits that help them hunt, including excellent hearing and eyesight. Their large eyes have extraordinary night vision, enabling them to find prey and fly at night. Binocular vision allows them to judge the height, weight, and depth of their quarry. They also have binaural or directional hearing, giving them exceptional sound localization and enabling them to hunt successfully at night. They have the ability to rotate their heads left to right and nearly upside down, as their forward-facing eyes do not move in their sockets.
Generally solitary except during breeding and nesting, both great horned and barred owls do not migrate but do establish changeable territories. Mating season varies with geography, from January through April. Essentially nocturnal, owls spend the daytime perching in concealed foliage or nesting, at times disrupted by smaller birds that attempt to drive them away. They rarely hunt during the day, except on dark days or to feed nestlings.
(Bubo virginianus)
Often seen or heard, the large great horned owls are found throughout most of North America. Long the symbol of wise intelligence, this image of a silent, calm bird perched on a tree branch or fence post is familiar to all.
The great horned is the most common owl of both North and South America. It has yellow eyes and distinctive ear tufts.
Great horned owls have thick yet lightweight bodies, weighing about 3 pounds, with wide wings capable of near-silent flight. They are generally about 20 to 22 inches tall with a 44- to 48-inch wingspan, and females are larger than males. This owl has a round face with large, forward-facing, yellow eyes and feather tufts on top of its head, which lie flat in flight. Color varies by regional adaptation, as do size and behavior. Camouflage is provided by mottled gray, black, and reddish brown colorations with dark and white bars on the underside and a white spot on the throat.
Although found in dense forests, great horned owls prefer areas with more open woodlands, fields, and pastures. They also inhabit deserts, swamps, wetlands, and even urban environments. Males give a series of 4 to 5 deep hoots to mark their territory, often in early evening or before dawn, and to locate mates, while females hoot only during mating season. Owls may also use a loud screeching sound as they attack prey.
Hunting and foraging. Great horned owls hunt during the night, primarily for small mammals such as rabbits, skunks, rodents, and birds, including poultry, but also eating reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects. From a perch, the owl swoops down to grasp its prey with talons, either in the air or off the ground.
▲ Great Horned Owl
Great horned owls are found throughout the entire continental United States and major portions of Alaska and Canada, excluding arctic areas.
The mated pair share incubation duties, chick rearing, and protection of the territory around their nest. The number of eggs laid depends on the availability of food. Males hunt more than females during parenting time. Males choose a new nest every year, usually the abandoned nests of birds or even squirrels, but they may also nest on cliff faces, in barn lofts and silos, and on transmission towers; in some areas they will use brushy areas or even the ground.
Great horned owls are apex predators. Deaths result from conflicts with other owls, accidents orhunting injuries, and predation on their nests. They mature in 1 to 3 years, and they live well into their late twenties or longer.
(Strix varia)
Similar in size to the great horned owl, the barred owl was originally found in the forested eastern states but has now expanded its range far beyond the Mississippi River, north through Canada into southern Alaska, and south into Washington, Oregon, northern Idaho, western Montana, and northern California. The treeless Great Plains served as a barrier to its spread until settlers altered the habitat through tree planting and fire suppression. Beginning in the late 19th century, the barred owl and other bird species made use of these trees and the forested corridors of the major rivers as they moved west and northward. Barred owls reached Washington State by the mid-1960s, and were in California 10 years later.
This expansion brought them into the northern portion of the habitat of a similar wood owl, the rare spotted owl. Where these two owls share the same area, the more aggressive barred owls are more successful competitors for the same prey, which drives down the spotted owl population. They occasionally interbreed, giving rise to a hybrid owl known as the sparred owl, which looks much like the highly endangered spotted owl. There have been controversial proposals to remove barred owls from the spotted owl range.
The barred owl, slightly smaller than the great horned owl, has dark eyes and no ear tufts.
The barred owl is often called the hoot owl for its clear series of 8 hoots, ending with a long descending note. To identify the call, birders use the mnemonic “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all.”
Large and stocky, the barred owl weighs 1 to 2.3 pounds, ranges from 16 to 25 inches long, and has a 38- to 49-inch wingspan. It differs from the great horned in that it lacks ear tufts and has dark brown, nearly black eyes and a rounded tail.
Plumage and coloration. The barred owl’s upper parts are mottled gray-brown, while its chest has distinctive vertical stripes. Its face is pale gray, and its legs and feet are covered with feathers.
These owls prefer old, mature, dense mixed forests and wooded river bottoms and swamps, although they have moved into dense coniferous forests and nearby logged areas in the Northwest. They are now less common in areas of the South due to the loss of habitat. On the other hand, they have adapted to life in the suburbs, where they are reproducing faster than in their native habitat. The presence of a great horned owl will discourage the less aggressive barred owl.
During the day, barred owls roost in trees although they may call or hoot to other owls. Nesting in tree cavities or the abandoned nests of hawks, crows, or squirrels, they often return to the same spot each year. The female tends to brood the eggs and remain with nestlings, while her mate hunts for both her and their young.
Although nocturnal, barred owls usually hunt at dawn or dusk, but they will hunt during the day to feed nestlings or if the sky is dark. Waiting on a high perch or flying low through trees, the barred owl swoops down to grasp prey with its talons. Rodents and small mammals are their primary food, and occasionally birds. Barred owls walk into the water to take amphibians, fish, and crustaceans. They also feed on large insects attracted to lights.
Barred owls live up to 10 years. In suburban areas, the main cause of death is a car accident. In the wild, great horned owls and cats take young birds.
▲ Barred Owl
The barred owl is found in eastern and central states north through Canada into southern Alaska, and south into Washington, Oregon, northern Idaho, western Montana, and northern California.
Many other owls are residents of the United States and Canada. They are less common predators of poultry or small farm animals due to their small size, habitat, or habits. Although not common near farmyards, there are two other large owls capable of preying on small animals and poultry.
The heaviest owl, the snowy, is a northern resident that nests in the tundra but winters farther south in Canada. In recent years, snowys have been spotted in various locations in the United States during the winter. Active day and night, they primarily hunt lemmings and small rodents, occasionally preying on small mammals such as hares and water and game birds.
The largest owl species, the great gray, is primarily found in the boreal forests and mountains in Canada and Alaska, and northernmost areas of the Rocky Mountains. The Sierra Nevada in California is home to a very small population of about 100 owls. The great gray has a very long, mottled gray body; a broad gray face with a white beard; and yellow eyes. It preys primarily on rodents.
Medium-sized barn owls are frequently seen around human structures in coastal areas and the central and southern states. Avid hunters of rodents, barn owls differ from the great horned by their heart-shaped face, dark eyes, gold-buff color, and lack of ear tufts. Barn owls belong to the related family Tytonidae.
Important hunters of rodents around farms, owls can also prey on poultry, rabbits, game birds, and waterfowl. At times, there are reports of puppies, kittens, and adult cats lost to owls. While the great horned owl is most often linked to poultry losses, the barred owl is increasing its range and is now seen in suburban areas, where it has been observed carrying away cats and backyard poultry. Other owls do occasionally prey on poultry as well.
Owls are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty, and it is illegal to kill one without a permit.
Unattended kittens, puppies, cats, pet birds, rabbits, and poultry are vulnerable. Provide covered housing for animals left outside at night.
The most effective protection is to secure poultry or rabbits at night in a predator-proof coop or covered pen. Owls will fly or walk on the ground to enter coops. They will also swoop through openings in runs or coops.
Bird gaits include walking, running, hopping, and skipping, and the tracks come in two different types, depending on the species.
Classic (anisodactyl): 3 toes facing forward and 1 backward (left)
Zygodactyl: 2 toes facing forward and 2 backward (right)
Poultry, rabbits, game birds, waterfowl
Night
Zygodactyl: 2 toes pointing forward and 2 backward. Owls can rotate the 4th rear toe in different positions including out to the side. Size varies with species. Talon mark visible.
Semiliquid, white
