Great horned owl

Bubo virginianus · The great horned owl is a large, adaptable owl native to the Americas, where it is the most widely distributed true owl.

Also called Tiger owl, Hoot owl.

Great horned owl
Photo: © Giles Laurent, gileslaurent.com, License CC BY-SA, CC BY-SA 4.0
Great horned owl
Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 4.0
Great horned owl
Photo: Paul Danese, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderStrigiformes
FamilyStrigidae
GenusBubo
SpeciesBubo virginianus

Where it lives

Forests, deserts and cities from Alaska and Canada to South America.

Fun facts

  • Great horned owls are among the few regular predators of skunks, and they can attack them without being bothered because the owls have a poor sense of smell.
  • An owl can rotate its neck 270° because it must turn its whole head instead of turning its eyes.
  • Their talons can squeeze with at least 300 psi of crushing power, a pressure much greater than a human hand can exert.
  • Their ear openings sit at different heights, which helps them pinpoint prey by sound even when it is hidden under snow.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).