Characteristics of the Great Horned Owl

Identification

• There are 10 identified subspecies of great horned owls, but all of them are considered great horned owls. They all sport brown and white plumage and vivid yellow eyes but vary in size and the amount of pale feathering or dark brown barlike dark patterns on their bodies. The most commonly found subspecies is Bubo virginianus virginianus, or B. v. virginius, according to "Great Horned Owl." Other subspecies include B. v. subarticus, B. v. lagophonus, B. v. pallascens and B. v. scalariventris.

Size

• The great horned owl is America's third largest owl. Only the snowy owl and great gray owls grow larger. Great horned owls living in South America tend to be smaller than those in North America. Females grow larger and heavier than males. Some female subspecies weigh up to 5.5 lbs, while males average 2 to 3 lbs. Wingspan for females average 45 to 60 inches across, while males average 35 to 50 inches. When perching, the owl stands 18 to 25 inches tall.

Diet

• Great horned owls eat meat exclusively. They fly silently due the construction of the fringes on wing feathers.They prey on rodents, skunks, small birds, rabbits, raccoons, falcons, smaller owls such as the barred owl, cats and any dog small enough for them to pick up. Owls swallow their prey bones, fur and all. They regurgitate pellets containing anything they cannot digest, such as bones and fur. The largest owls can kill porcupines. Owls living near water learn to kill fish and crayfish. They also can eat bats, prairie dogs, weasels, muskrats and minks. Naturalist Chuck LaRue's claims to have witnessed an owl killing a bobcat, accoring to Great Horned Owl.

Breeding

• Great horned owls are monogamous and make great parents. Both male and female owl take turns sitting on the eggs, hunting meat for the chicks and protecting chicks from intruders. National Geographic reports that great horned owl parents will attack people if they go near nests. Mating season is in February or early spring. The female lays between two and six eggs, but lays only one egg every other day. This gives the first hatched chick an advantage over the others. In years when prey is scarce, smaller chicks are fed to the largest.