Our Resident Great Horned Owl

Baxter

Brought to Sharon Audubon Center: February 1999

History: Baxter came to the Audubon Center through the wildlife rehabilitation program after being struck by a car.  He suffered from a severely broken left wing, which was later amputated by veterinarians.  He now resides in a large outside aviary with another Great Horned Owl.  Baxter started participating in educational programs, almost one year after his accident.

Great Horned Owl

(Bubo Virginianus)

Average Height:  18-26 inches

Average Weight:  2 1/2-3 1/2 pounds

Wingspan:  4-5 feet

Lifespan:  15-20 years

Description:  The Great Horned Owl is a large brown owl with "ear tufts," which are mistakenly thought to be the bird's ears.  Feathers are brown with heavy barring on the underparts.  A white throat bib, yellow eyes, and a reddish-brown facial disk are distinctive features.

Call:  Both sexes give a series of low hoots which sound like, "Who's awake? Me too!"  The males often give 4-5 hoots, "Hoo-hoo-oo, hoo, hoo."  The female's call is lower in pitch and often gives a series of 6-8 hoots, "Hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo, hoo-oo, hoo-oo."

Range:  Great Horns reside throughout the United States and most of Canada.  It is a very common resident of Connecticut and New York.

Habitat:  Great Horned Owls live in coniferous or deciduous forests, open woodlands, swamps, urban parks, and semi-desert areas.

Diet:  The diet of Great Horned Owls includes rabbits, rodents, skunks, cats, frogs, snakes, and smaller birds, including owls.  Great Horns are at the top of the food chain, so they have many prey, but have very little predators.  Man is the biggest predator of Great Horned Owls.