|
great horned owl home page |
||
|
featuring...  Bubo virginianus, the Great Horned  |
The Great Horned Owl, Bubo
virginianus, is a nocturnal owl
with brown to grey feathers, yellow eyes, and a dark bill. Over
two feet in height and weighing up to 3.5 pound, the Great Horned
Owl is at the top of the owl food chain in North America and
will occasionally attack smaller owls, as well as large prey
such as Canada Geese and small pets, though its favorite food
is probably rabbits and hares. It hunts by perching on a post
and waiting for a potential victim to happen by. Once prey is
detected, the owl swoops down head first, moving its legs out
front shortly before impact in order to grasp the prey in its
sharp talons. Great Horned Owls live throughout the U.S. and
southern Canada, in a wider range of habitats than any other
North American owl species. Although they often nest in coniferous
trees in the east, they may be found in palm trees and on rocky
ledges out west. Bill: Black |
|
|
Greetings! Welcome to the Great Horned Owl Home Page here at North American Owls: the Web Site. Whoo-hoo! Lena Horn at your service, "have beak, will hoot." Ha ha! No, seriously, thanks for your interest in my species, Bubo virginianus, and good choice, by the way, since my kind are at the top of the owl food chain in North America. In fact, don't be surprised to find me dining on such hefty dishes as Canada Geese, ducks, and chickens. True, I usually prefer rabbits and hares, but you can't be a picky species and expect to survive in as many different habitats as I call home. Why, bless my rusty-colored facial disks, you can find me in forests, caves, deserts, you name it. In fact, about the only place you won't find me is an alpine meadow. Of course, when I say "me," I mean any one of my 9 different flavors (or subspecies as you call them) in North America -- 10 if you count my Central American cousins. For instance, there's Bubo virginianus pacificus in California, Bubo virginianus occidentalis in Wyoming, and the so-called nominate subspecies, Bubo virginianus virginianus, in the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada. Not that there's any great differences between us, but you will find that our feathers become progressively grayer as you travel north, for the sake of camouflage, you understand. Right. Bookmark this page for the latest
facts about yours truly -- not to mention species-related games,
jokes, and I don't know what-all (see below)! Plus, do you see
that list of articles at the top left of this page? (I'll wait
here while you take a look. Da-dee-dum... Doo-dee-dee...) See?
Well, that list of links is updated regularly as I answer more
of you guys' owl questions, yeah? Speaking of which, feel free
to ask me your own questions about my species by sending an e-mail
to this site with the words "Great Horned Owl"
in the subject line. Meanwhile, keep an eye out for the toughest
owl in North America: moi! Are you kidding? I even attack other
owls! (Well, I'm sorry, but they should know better than to overlap
MY territory!) Of course, you're more likely to hear me than
see me on account of I'm a true night owl. Just listen for 5
deep, resonating hoots in a row. (I'm like: hoooo hoooo hooo
-- hooo hooooo!) Or, if you ever hear a bunch of chickadees going
wild during the daytime, follow the noise, because the annoying
little blighters just might be "mobbing" me again.
(They wouldn't dare actually hurt us, of course. Still, it's
a proper nuisance! Honestly, we Great Horned Owls get no respect!)
|
||
|
|
||
Wheel of Raptors, featuring facts
about Great Horned Owl and other North American species