Great Horned Owl
Scientific name
Bubo virginianus
about the species
The largest North American owl with ear tufts! Did you know these tufts are not actually ears, but feathers called plumicorns? The Great Horned Owl’s real ears are hidden underneath feathers. The owl’s specialized facial disc — the feathers surrounding the eyes — helps guide sound to the ears, almost like a satellite dish! With their acute hearing, Great Horned Owls catch prey such as mice, voles, squirrels, and birds. Rodenticides used to control mice and rats can endanger these owls, who can die from eating poisoned rodents. Great Horned Owls will nest in tree cavities. However, this opportunistic predator will also nest in abandoned raptor and crow nests. They, along with all the world's owls, do not build nests or bring any nesting material to their cavities. The Great Horned Owl is in the Genus Bubo, and is 1 of only 2 species within this Genus found in the western hemisphere (the other being the Snowy Owl). All other Bubo species are found in Europe, Asia and Africa. Listen for the Great Horned Owl’s call at dusk, described as a stuttering hoo-HOO-hoo-hoo.
conservation status
Least concern. Common resident owl in Missouri
How we’re Studying this species
Forest Park is home to several Great Horned Owl pairs! We fit one female with a GPS tracker and have plans to tag more owls in the future. We are also collecting and dissecting owl pellets to identify the prey these owls rely on. Read a summary of the results so far!
