An adult will weigh between 1.3 to 5.7 pounds. Recognizing its key features and field marks can help birders properly identify this owl, despite the fact that great horned owls in different ranges can be different colors. On April 22 I saw an adult bring a black snake to the nest around 11 a.m. The largest of the eared or tufted owls in North America, the great horned owls think January is a fine time to declare their territorial intentions and woo a mate. The great horned owl chick napping face-down. The Great horned owl is a round-faced bird with the distinctive horn-shaped feather tuft on the crown of its head, which is darker than the rest of its head, promoting the overall camouflage. Mostly females are responsible for incubation while the males are responsible for hunting and bringing food to females. The males deliver the first round of dinner typically after sunset (that is, as soon as it gets dark). The Great Horned Owls have an incubation period of 33 days on average but it can range anywhere between 28 days and 37 days. The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) or tiger owl is probably the heaviest owl species... How Tall is a Great Horned Owl? Nicknamed the tiger with wings, the great horned owl is a fearless and feared bird of prey. The adult then grabbed it just below the head and tore its head off. From halfway to the northernmost portions of Alaska and Canada, all the way down to the south Amazon basin, you'll find the great horned owls of the Americas. Range/Habitat: The Great Horned Owl is found all across the United States and Canada in large numbers. Adult owls also bark in response to threats. Iris is a … This powerful hunter captures a wide range of creatures. It is about 22 inches long, and has brown feathers with a white throat and light colored feathers inside its wings. These include large insects, amphibians, reptiles, and birds, including, on occasion, Peregrine Falcons, other owls, geese, and herons. The owl possesses powerful, solid legs, feet and claws. Great Horned Owl January nights in Rocky Mountain National Park may seem a forbidding time to serenade a potential love, but the great horned owls don't seem to notice. Great horned owls are heavily built birds, with large heads and broad wings. Of course, as previously mentioned, it is most famous for its ear tufts or “horns.” Great Horned Owls may also pierce the darkness with an eerie shriek, which may signal a hungry owlet begging for food or a female defending its nest. It is one of the few animals that will kill a skunk, and it may eat more than 4,000 mice per year. These magnificent predators live as long as 28 years. The great horned owl is a large, stocky bird, but like all owls, it is heavily camouflaged. 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