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  Profile

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  In flight

Owls

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

• common
• 64 km/h
• Starter
• Least Concern

Silent night delivery with crushing grip strength. Do not tip in live mice.

Population

~5.7 million (Partners in Flight / Cornell global breeding population estimate)

Habitat

Highly adaptable — forests (deciduous, coniferous, mixed, tropical), deserts, wetlands, grasslands, tundra edges, rocky coasts, and urban/suburban areas

Fun fact

Despite its name, the Great Horned Owl has no horns at all — its distinctive "ear tufts" (plumicorns) are just feathers used in territorial/social display, and it is one of the few regular predators of skunks.

Range

Throughout the Americas — from the Arctic tundra edge across North, Central, and most of South America to upland regions of Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru

Diet

Opportunistic carnivore — mainly rabbits, hares, rodents, and other birds, but also reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates; Cornell notes it has one of the most diverse prey profiles of any raptor in the Americas (500+ prey species recorded), with North American diet composition roughly 87.6% mammals, 6.1% birds, 1.6% reptiles/amphibians, 4.7% invertebrates/insects

Size

0.55 m

Wingspan

1.35 m

Lifespan

28 years