Great Horned Owl

Fun Facts

The big, forward-facing eyes of great horned owls are unable to move on their own. Instead, they are designed with 14 neck bones (double the seven that humans and most mammals have) to help them turn their heads almost all the way around.

Plumicorns, the pointy feathers on the heads of great horned owls, are not their ears. Feathers hide their real ears on the sides of their heads. These hidden ears allow them to hear 10 times better than humans.

Great horned owls have special feathers that allow them to fly up to 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour) without making a sound. Prey cannot hear or feel them swooping down until it is too late. They may hunt at night or during the day.

The feet of great horned owls can grip with a crushing force of up to 500 pounds per square inch (227 kilograms per cubic centimeter). A human’s bite force is only about 150 pounds per square inch (10.5 kilograms per cubic centimeter).

Great horned owl pairs often mate for life. Males woo females by hooting, puffing up their feathers, bowing, bill rubbing, and flying up and down on perches. Males will also select nesting sites by stomping up and down on their chosen spot. They prefer to reuse nests other animals have built. Females incubate eggs while males hunt.