Great Horned Owl Page 2

More on Great Horned Owls

This owl is about 56 cm (22 in) long and weighs approximately 1-2.5 kg (2-5 lbs). It has an upright body with a short tail, large head, and thick, mottled brown, rust and white plumage. The wings are long and fringed, and like all owls, there are sound-deadening filaments at the tips of the flight feathers. This allows the Great Horned Owl to fly silently.

Most food is eaten whole, or in large pieces. Once the owl has processed the digestible parts it will regurgitate a pellet of fur, bones, and teeth. Using these pellets, scientists can learn more about what Great Horned Owls eat.

Most owls don't hoot at all - but the Great Horned Owl sure does! The unmistakable sound is usually two to three WHOOO WHOOO sounds - very low in pitch, and carrying a very long distance.

The breeding season is in spring and early summer. The female owl will lay from 1 to 5 round eggs in a nest abandoned by some other animal or, rarely, on the ground. The eggs hatch after 26-35 days. By the time the young owlets are 9-10 weeks old they have grown enough feathers to begin learning how to fly, but their parents will continue to take care of them for another 2 months or more.

Was THAT a Great Horned Owl?

Look for:

Very large owl with yellow eyes and two tufts of feathers or "horns" on either side of the head.
Owl pellets near feeding site.

Great Horned Owl,
8-week old chick.

	As with most owls, female Great Horned Owls are much larger than the males.
	Great Horned Owls are among the earliest birds to nest - and the incubating parent can often become completely snow-covered!

Great Horned Owl Quiz

A) Owls are:

1. Most active during the day

2. Most active during the spring

3. Nocturnal - most active at night

4. Most active around spring break

B) Great Horned Owls are found:

1. In burrows in the ground

2. Throughout most of North America

3. Only in North Dakota

4. In toy stores

C) Great Horned Owls eat

1. Most types of small mammals

2. Twinkies

3. Lots of vegetables

4. Almost anything - they're omnivores

D) Great Horned Owls make sounds like:

1. Choo Choo

2. Meow

3. Oink Oink

4. Whooo whooo whooo

How did you do?
Stand on your head to find out!

ACTIVITY
A Symbol of Wildlife (Grades 4 - 9)

Sometimes people use wildlife as a symbol, to represent an idea or an image. For example, if someone calls you a rat, you know exactly what they mean, and it isn't a compliment! A lion is a good example of how an animal can mean different things to different people and cultures. When we see a lion, we often think of regal qualities—courage, nobility, strength, and power. We even say that the lion is 'King of the Jungle."

The Great Horned Owl has appeared in legends and folktales for centuries. One widespread superstition is that an owl's hoot warns of danger. Other people believe that an owl symbolizes wisdom. What do you think of when you see an owl?

1. Get a piece of paper and a pen or pencil.
2. Write down what you think of when you see an owl or a picture of an owl.
3. Pretend you are a newspaper reporter. Interview your family and friends about what they think of when they see an owl.
4. Did most people have the same answer? Different answers? What was the most popular answer?

Do you think that owl's really have the qualities that you have listed on your paper?