Great-horned owl Bubo virginiana

Family Strigidae

Description:

Mainly nocturnal predators with hooked bills, sharp talons, forward-facing eyes, & circular facial discs. Most roost during the day in dense vegetation. Have keen hearing & vision in low light. Eyes don’t move in sockets; they rotate their head on flexible necks.

Form pairs (mid-Jan. to mid-Mar. Male selects nest site and attracts female by hooting. Nests in trees, caves, or on ground. Female incubates 1-4 eggs, & male feeds her during nesting. Eggs incubate for about 1 month, and chicks stay in nest for 6-10 weeks as they learn to fly. Both parents feed & tend young for many months.

Eats: mammals like rabbits , rodents, & skunks and birds like quail, ducks, & smaller owls. Also, reptiles, amphibians, fish, & insects.

Habitat: widely found from city, to forest , grasslands, & deserts. Common throughout North America