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Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. CXXIV
Field-journal plate: Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate CXXIV

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Strigidae · Taxon 20044

Length46–63 cm (18.1–24.8 in)
Wingspan101–145 cm (39.8–57.1 in)
Weight910–2,500 g (32.1–88.2 oz)

Field marks

  1. Large, thick-bodied owl with prominent ear tufts and an upright posture
  2. Bright yellow eyes set in a gray-to-cinnamon facial disc
  3. Short, dark, hooked bill partly concealed by facial feathers
  4. Mottled gray-brown upperparts, a white throat patch, and densely barred underparts
  5. Broad, rounded wings and a relatively short, barred tail
  6. Heavily feathered legs ending in powerful dark talons

HabitatHighly adaptable; favors mosaics of woodland and open ground but also uses forests, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, agricultural areas, and wooded developed areas. Roosts and nests in trees, cavities, snags, ledges, and abandoned nests.

BehaviorMostly nocturnal and often solitary outside nesting; hunts from perches with quiet, broad-winged flight, taking mainly mammals and birds. Territorial pairs advertise and defend their range with deep hoots.

Palette

gray-browncinnamoncreamwhiteyellow