Let us set the stage…it is late January; you are lying in bed tossing and turning. It is 2am, wind howling, snow blowing, and it is hovering around zero outside. It is so miserable outside; you think of the old saying “it’s not fit for man nor beast”. Suddenly you hear a whooo whooooooooo whoo-whooo. Then a minute later you hear another whooo whooooooo whoo-whooo. No, it’s not aliens! Believe it or not, it is mating season for the Great Horned Owl. The sound you are hearing is part of the courtship ritual. By the end of January or early February they will be sitting on eggs.
The “tiger of the sky” Bubo viginianus – The Great Horned owl is by far the largest, fiercest, and most aggressive of the owls that inhabit the forests of the United States. It is second in size only to the Snowy Owl that lives predominately in the far northern United States and Canada. It is easily distinguishable from other large owls by its long ear tufts or “horns”. These tufts help in territorial displays by making the owl look bigger and more formidable.
As we all know owls are nocturnal, they share their habitat with their diurnal counterparts the eagles, hawks and falcons. However their incredible senses of hearing and sight and their remarkable ability to fly without making a sound sets them apart from the other predators of the sky. In cultures throughout history and around the world, owls are creatures of mystery, reverence, and fascination. Just ask any young child what the name of Harry Potter’s owl is and they could tell you. Ohio is home to 4 resident owl species (Great Horned, Eastern Screech, Barn, and Barred) and 4 owl species who migrate here for the winter from Canada. (Saw-Whet, Short Eared, Long Eared, and Snowy) There are 19 different species of owls inhabiting North America. The smallest is the Pygmy Owl, which measures only six inches tall.
In all raptor species, the males and females exhibit what is called sexual dimorphism, with the females about 1/3 larger than the males. The female is approximately seven inches longer, one pound heavier, and has a wingspan that is almost a foot wider than the male. Great Horned Owls are relatively long lived owls, living about 10-13 years in the wild. The Great Horned Owl lives primarily in densely forested regions of conifers or mixed hardwoods. It also sits at the edge of the tree line to hunt in open meadows or marshes. Its favorite food is the rabbit closely followed by the skunk. However, a tasty mouse, vole, chipmunk, rat, and even a small dog would not be out of the ordinary for this fierce hunter.
Great Horned Owls do not build their own nests. They use old red-tail hawk, crow or the occasional squirrel nest. Incubation last for about 28-30 days. Both parents are fiercely protective of the nest and offspring. Young fledge, or leave the nest, about six weeks after hatching. They usually fall out of the nest or off an adjacent branch onto the ground. The young owlets, incapable of flight at this point, will continue to be fed and protected by their parents on the ground. Around the ninth week flight feathers and tail feathers will have grown in sufficiently permitting short flights. Around the twelfth week they are flying and learning how to hunt on their own. The family stays together until the autumns wind blow and the young are driven off by their parents to establish their own territory usually within 20-30 miles of their nest site. Then the cycle begins anew in the dead of winter with the whooo whooooo of the mating calls of the Great Horned Owl.
So next time you think you are hearing aliens, open your window and listen to the amazing sounds of the Great Horned owl.
