This bird of prey is North America's second largest owl, with the Great Gray Owl being the largest. The Great Horned Owl is found throughout North America, while the Great Gray inhabits only the northernmost regions of the continent.

In San Diego County, the Great Horned and Barn Owls are the most common of the owls who inhabit our area.

The Great Horned Owl averages 22 inches in length, (with females being larger than males) and is easily identified by the characteristic "ear tufts" or horns, hence the name "Great Horned Owl". Incidentally, the ear tufts are not the ears of the owl. As with all birds, their ears are located behind their eyes. This owl has the characteristic vocalization that we often associate with all owls. Of the twenty or so species of owl in North America, only the Great Horned makes the hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo hoo sound so traditionally assigned to owls. Throughout the year, but most commonly heard during mating season, male and female owls will often spend their evening hours locating each other by "hootie hooing" all night long. Old timers often refer to this owl as a "Hoot Owl".

This owl's habitats are varied, ranging from forests to city to open desert, provided there is shelter, such as woods or cliffs, nearby.

They nest in early spring, and generally use old nests of herons, hawks or crows; although cliff ledges, tree cavities, and oddly enough, the ground, are common nest sites as well. Three to eight large white eggs are the normal clutch, with half that number likely to survive. Incubation is about 28 days, with both parents taking turns in this process. Although chiefly nocturnal, it is not unusual to see a Great Horned hunting during the daylight hours during baby season, as hungry youngsters must eat around the clock.

This large yellow-eyed owl relies primarily on his keen eyesight to locate his prey which consists of a wide variety of small birds and mammals. The Great Horned Owl is one of the few predators of the skunk. As with most birds, these owls have no sense of smell. Additionally, their very strength and bulk allows them the ability to capture and carry the skunk to a designated feeding area. While the maligned coyote is often blamed for the disappearance of small domestic animals left unattended after dark, this may not be the case at all. The Great Horned Owl is fully capable of taking a cat, small dog, or other small pet left outdoors. While their diet mainly consists of native species, the owl with young to feed may resort to preying on our small domestic animals. In such cases, it becomes our responsibility to protect the animals that are ours, rather than condemn those wild species who are simply looking for food for their young or themselves.

As with all of our native species, loss of habitat has caused them to live closer to us than they'd prefer. We humans, however, benefit from the presence of these owls in our neighborhoods by the sheer volume of rodents, etc. that these birds of prey consume on a daily basis.

A Comparison of Great-horned Owls and Red-tailed Hawks

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