Great Horned Owl

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Quick Facts

Nocturnal
  • Scientific Name: Bubo virginianus
  • Spanish Name: Búho cornudo
  • Family: Strigidae
  • Known Nicknames: Tiger Owl, Hoot Owl, Cat Owl
  • Average Length: 46–63 cm / 18–25 in
  • Average Weight: 910–2500 g / 2.0–5.5 lb
  • Wingspan: 91–153 cm / 36–60 in
  • Key Feature: Prominent ear tufts and large yellow eyes
  • Primary Diet: Carnivore
  • Range: North America through Central and South America
  • Habitat: Forests, woodlands, deserts, urban areas
  • Social Structure: Solitary (except during breeding season)
  • Nesting/Breeding: Tree cavities, abandoned nests of other large birds, cliffs
  • Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
  • Population Trend: Stable

The Great Horned Owl (*Bubo virginianus*) is a formidable and widespread predator of the Americas, instantly recognizable by its large, ear-like tufts of feathers—which are not actual horns or ears but serve as camouflage—and its piercing, yellow eyes set in a broad, expressive facial disc. Its general appearance is robust and powerful, with a mottled plumage of browns, grays, and blacks that provides exceptional camouflage against tree bark, and a wingspan reaching up to five feet. A special feature is its remarkably versatile diet and hunting prowess; it is one of the few animals that regularly preys on skunks (lacking a strong sense of smell), and its incredibly strong, silent flight and crushing grip allow it to take down prey as large as geese, rabbits, and even other raptors, earning it the nickname "tiger of the sky."

Fun Facts

Great Horned Owls have astonishingly weak senses of smell, a fact famously exploited by skunks—these owls are the skunk’s primary predator, routinely attacking and eating them despite the spray. They are also one of the few animals known to regularly prey on porcupines, using their heavily feathered feet to deftly flip the prickly rodent over and strike its unprotected belly. A quirky behavior is their “snow-plunging” hunting technique: in winter, they will dive headfirst into deep snow to catch voles or mice they can hear moving underneath. Their eyes are so large and fixed in their sockets that they cannot roll them, so they must turn their heads up to 270 degrees to scan their surroundings—a feat made possible by extra neck vertebrae and a specialized blood-pooling system that keeps the brain oxygenated during the twist.

Habitats & Distribution

The Great Horned Owl occupies an extraordinarily broad range of habitats across the Americas, from the northern tree line of Alaska and Canada down through Central America into southern South America, including the Amazon basin and the Andes. It is absent only from the high Arctic tundra and the densest, unbroken tropical rainforest interiors. This species is highly adaptable and thrives in diverse environments such as deciduous and coniferous forests, swamps, deserts, rocky canyons, and agricultural areas, but it shows a strong preference for semi-open landscapes with a mix of trees for roosting and open ground for hunting. It is also common in suburban parks, cemeteries, and city woodlots, making it one of the most widely distributed and successful owl species in the Western Hemisphere.

Behaviours & Reproduction

Great Horned Owls are solitary and fiercely territorial, with mated pairs defending their range year-round. Courtship begins in late winter with the male performing deep, resonant hooting calls and elaborate aerial displays to attract a female; once paired, they often remain monogamous for life. They do not build their own nests, instead taking over abandoned stick nests of hawks, crows, or squirrels, or using tree cavities and cliff ledges. A unique reproductive strategy is their early breeding season—often laying eggs in January or February, even in deep snow—which allows the owlets to hatch when prey like rabbits and rodents are most abundant. The female incubates 1–4 eggs alone for about 30–37 days while the male hunts and brings food; after hatching, the male continues provisioning while the female broods the young. The owlets leave the nest at 6–7 weeks but remain dependent on their parents for several more months, gradually learning to hunt before dispersing in autumn.

Diet

The Great Horned Owl is a formidable and opportunistic carnivore with one of the most varied diets of any North American raptor. Its menu is dominated by medium-sized mammals, particularly rabbits, hares, and squirrels, but it readily takes larger prey such as skunks—notably without being deterred by their spray—as well as opossums, muskrats, and even young porcupines. Birds also form a significant part of its diet, ranging from crows and ducks to other raptors like Red-tailed Hawks and smaller owls. A fascinating aspect of its feeding behavior is that it often swallows small prey whole, later regurgitating indigestible parts like bones, fur, and feathers in compact pellets. Additionally, while mammals and birds make up the bulk of its intake, it will opportunistically hunt reptiles, amphibians, fish, and large insects, and it is one of the few predators known to regularly kill and eat domestic cats.

Colors

The Great Horned Owl exhibits mottled brown, gray, and black plumage with a white throat patch, providing excellent bark-like camouflage. Its facial disc is a warm rufous-brown bordered by dark rings, and the prominent ear tufts are dark brown. The underparts are barred horizontally with fine, dark streaks, while the upperparts show a complex pattern of vermiculations and pale spots that break up its silhouette against trees.

Distribution Map

Places linked to this species. A sighting is never guaranteed.