Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Summary 4
Great Horned Owls are uncommon visitors to the Arboretum, and are the largest owls in our area. These hawk-sized predators are capable of hunting prey as large as skunks and rabbits, but they are more likely to eat rats, mice, squirrels, birds, and even snakes. Great Horned Owls are mostly nocturnal, but we sometimes spot them napping during the day, usually perched on a large tree branch next to the trunk. Flocks of crows and jays often attack roosting owls during the day. Great Horned Owls make a deep hooting call: "who's awake... me too..."
Sources and Credits
- (c) brendan.lally, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bubo_virginianus_-Canada-6.jpg
- (c) Minette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/7232133@N08/2925340745
- (c) Mary C. Kirby, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bubo_virginianus_(Grand-duc_d%27Am%C3%A9rique).jpg
- Adapted by hancnaturalist from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubo_virginianus
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