Great Horned Owls

1. Great Horned Owls One Of The Biggest Birds By: Thomas.O

2. Introduction • The scientific name for the Great Horned owl is Bubo Virginianus(It means Great Horned Owl lives in Virginia.) • The owls live 5-12 years in the wild • They can live to 38 years in captivity. • The Great Horned Owl is not endangered. • There are 150 kinds of owls.

3. Physical Features • Brown feathers • They are about 45-63 cm tall • They have about a 5 foot wing span. • They weigh about 2-4 pounds • White patch at throat • Brown small legs • Strong yellow talons which are their claws

4. More Physical Features • Round face • Big yellow eyes with big black pupils • Hard, small beak that is very pointy at the end • Ear tufts-which are the horns

5. Habitat • They live in wooded areas. • They mostly live in North and South America. • They also live in farmland. • They live in coniferous and deciduous forests • Landforms are farmland and suburbs in North and South America • They are most often found in treed areas.

6. Habitat Continued • Climate, 40-68 degrees during most of the year • 12-35 inches of rain a year fall in their habitat • They live in all kinds of climates including cold and warm weather. • Winter can last from October-May. • The summers are hot and humid.

7. Food • They are carnivores which are meat eaters. They eat rodents, like mice, rabbits, skunks, bats and crows. • When they hunt they strike from above. • They kill their prey with their strong talons (claws).

8. Hunting Prey Predator • Mice—they can eat 4,000 mice a year • Rabbits • Squirrels • Bats • Crows • Skunks • Great horned owls actually eat other Great Horned Owls • Humans harm owls with pollution and catching them for zoos.

9. Behavior • They like to hunt at night. • They have great night vision. • Owls can see far away so they can chase down their prey • Keen hearing so they can hear predators. • Both parents feed and take care of owlets for a few weeks.

10. Babies • They lay 1-5 eggs a year. • Babies are called owlets. • The owlets stay with their mom and dad for the first few weeks. • The owlets will hatch in a few weeks. • They start off only 3 to 4 inches in size

11. Physical Adaptation • The owls in the snowy areas are white and the owls in wooded areas are brown and tan which looks like bark of a tree so it can camouflage with the bark and snow. This helps them blend with their surroundings at rest . • Powerful talons are used to grab prey. • Powerful beak/bill are used rip apart the prey so it is easier to eat. • Owls with yellow colored eyes (iris) are generally daytime hunters • Owls with orange colored irises are generally dusk and dawn hunters • Owls with dark colored irises are usually nighttime hunters

12. Behavioral Adaptation • They stay in a tree and watch their prey and then sweep down to get it. • They hoot to warn each other of danger. • Very quiet when they fly so they will not tell prey they are coming. • They usually do not make their nests but use nests from other birds which makes it easy to move from one place to another. • They are nocturnal so they can hunt at night.

13. Physiological Adaptation • Keen eye sight to see prey from far away. • Keen hearing to hear their prey and other owls. • They can turn their heads 270 degrees because they have 14 vertebrae so they can spot their prey and see predators. • They have no marrow (bones are hollow) in their bones which help them fly.

14. Fun Facts • Female and male owls both hatch eggs. • There are more than 150 kinds of owls. • It has the biggest eyes of North Americas owls. • The male owl is smaller then the female owl.