What makes the great horned owl special?
With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs.
How would you describe a great horned owl?
Description – male: Great Horned Owls are large owls — about 18 to 25 inches long and have a wingspan between 35-60 inches. They have light gray to dark brown feathery ear tufts (which is how they ended up with the name ‘Horned’ owl). They have horizontal breast barring with gray to brown, mottled bodies.
Do Great Horned Owls have any enemies?
The Great-horned Owl is not a threatened species. Young Great-horned Owls may fall prey to predators such as foxes, coyotes, or when very young, potentially other raptors or even crows.
What are the behavioral adaptations of an owl?
Owls use tufts to help camouflage, or disguise, themselves. When the tufts are raised, they resemble small twigs or branches. They help the owls stay hidden from predators. Owls hide from songbirds, too, because the little birds dive and make a racket when they spot an owl, a behavior called mobbing.
What’s the difference between a great horned owl and an eagle owl?
The Eurasian Eagle-Owl has orange eyes, whereas the Great Horned Owl has yellow eyes. The Eurasian Eagle-Owl has vertical underside barring on its feathers, whereas the Great Horned Owl has horizontal underside barring.
What kind of calls does a great horned owl make?
The male and female of a breeding pair may perform a duet of alternating calls, with the female’s voice recognizably higher in pitch than the male’s. Calls. Young owls give piercing screams when begging for food, while adults may scream to defend the nest.
How big does a great horned owl get?
They use nests that were built by a different species (such as hawks, crows, ravens, herons, and even squirrels) (Cornell University 2015). The Great Horned Owl can weigh between .90 to just over 2.3 kilograms, with the female being larger than the male (Cornell University 2015; FRGZEV 2006).
What do great horned owls do in the winter?
Pairs often call together, with audible differences in pitch. Great Horned Owls are covered in extremely soft feathers that insulate them against the cold winter weather and help them fly very quietly in pursuit of prey. Their short, wide wings allow them to maneuver among the trees of the forest.