Scientific Name:
Bubo virginianus
Description
63cm/25 inches in length, with a thick, gray-brown body, round flat face, yellow eyes and brown "ear" tufts.
Behaviors
Lives in wooded areas and is nocturnal (active at night). It uses keen hearing to locate its prey–small birds, mice and rabbits–moving on the ground below. Like all owls, the great horned owl's wings make no noise during flight, allowing them to approach prey undetected.
Fun Facts
The great horned owl is the most widely distributed owl in all of the Americas. Early naturalists called it the "winged tiger," or "Tiger of the air."
Nature Topics
Photo credit: ©Chuck Bancroft
