Characteristics
 The great horned owl is probably best known for the large tufts of feathers on its head that look like horns.
 It has big cat-like eyes and brown white, gray, and black markings that look like the bark of a tree. These markings help camouflage it in the woods.
It has a wing span of over four feet and it is about two feet in height.
Range
 The great horned owl has a very large range. It can be found in forests in North, Central and South America from Arctic tree regions in the north to the Straits of Magellan in the south.
Habitat
The great horned owl lives in woodlands, along cliffs and canyons and at the edge of forests.
Diet
 The great horned owl is nocturnal. It hunts small mammals like mice, rabbits, squirrels and skunks. It also eats birds like ducks and quail. It eats small prey whole, larger prey it rips up into smaller pieces that is can swallow. It regurgitates or throws up the undigested parts, like bones and fur, in owl pellets. You can often tell what an owl has eaten by looking at these pellets.
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Life Cycle
 January and early February is mating time for the great horned owl. The male and female call to each other during courtship. They use the abandoned nests of other birds, usually hawks or crows. The female lays two to three eggs. She will raise one family each year. Both the male and female incubate the eggs and provide food for the owlets.
 The eggs hatch in about four weeks. Great horned owls are very protective parents and will attack intruders. The young owls leave the nest when they are between one and two months old and can fly when they are nine to ten weeks old.
Behavior
 The great horned owl's excellent hearing and eyesight help it hunt at night. Its loosely-packed feathers make it almost silent when it flies. This makes it easier to sneak up on its prey.
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