About Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
The Great Horned Owl is the most widespread owl in North America, and probably the most powerful hunter. The Great Gray Owl is larger, but the Great Horned is heavier and more frequently takes large prey. The Great Horned Owl regularly attacks animals larger than itself, including cats, porcupines, and herons.I really like this summary from The Owl Pages: "An extremely wide range of prey species (at least 253 identified) are captured, but rabbits and hares are its preferred prey. Mammalian prey includes all coexisting rodents, squirrels, mink, skunks, raccoons, armadillos, porcupines, domestic cats and dogs, shrews, moles, muskrats, and bats. Bird prey includes all other Owls (except Snowy Owl), grouse, woodpeckers, crows, turkeys, pigeons, Red-tailed Hawks, bitterns, Great Blue Heron, ducks, swans, gulls, etc. Reptiles include snakes, turtles, lizards, and young alligators. Amphibians include frogs, toads, and salamanders. Other foods include fish, large insects, scorpions, centipedes, crayfish, worms, spiders, and road killed animals."
We are talking about a truly powerful predator! It is a member of the genus Bubo, the Eagle Owls, which are the largest owls in the world. Eagle owls are found everywhere except on Australia, the southwest Pacific islands, and Antarctica, ranging from tundra and deserts to the jungles of equatorial Africa.
Synonyms:
- GHOW
- Bubo virginianus [virginianus Group]