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The great horned owl, one of the most powerful and savage of all birds, still ranges across the United States and Canada today. Flying on silent wings, the great horned owl hunts at night, killing rabbits, woodchucks, birds as large as turkeys, and even skunks, seemingly not affected by their odor. But most of its diet is made up of rodents, thus making the owl very beneficial friend to farmers.
In the colder parts of its range, the great horned owl nests in February or early March, but in Missouri it nests before the end of January. The owls don’t build their own nests, but rather use old nests of large birds such as hawks or crows. Often, they will place their eggs in the hollow of a tree, or on the rafters of an old barn. Both male and female incubate the eggs, and they are monogamous birds, mutually devoted to each other, returning to the same nesting site each winter.
Most of us have heard the sonorous “whoo whoo whoo,” of the great horned owl, but it makes other sounds as well, like the cries resembling a barking dog and a wailing child. And sometimes, it emits a loud, piercing scream that will curdle the blood.
In fact, when they are courting, there is a slight difference in the tone of the hoots. The smaller male has the deeper voice, and hoots more frequent during the courtship. And at the start of the courtship, the male keeps a distance of 45 to 60 feet, flying from branch to branch, bowing to the female. If she should be somewhat unresponsive at first, he will bring her a gift of food. With eyes closed, she accepts the gift, and the encouraged male moves closer.
Now begins the posturing. The two owls move slowly towards each other on the branch they are occupying, bowing their heads, bodies in horizontal position, often spreading their wings, all the while engaging in continuous hoots and cries and screeches. Finally, when they are side by side, they will stroke each others feathers gently with their beaks.
The number of eggs that are laid varies, with larger clutches in the western states. In the Midwest, three to four eggs are common. Research indicates that the availability of prey has some bearing on the size of the clutch. So in years when the rodent population is high, the female owl may lay a larger number of eggs.
The female begins incubating the eggs with the first or second egg, and for the next five weeks, the devoted mother owl barely leaves the nest. The dedicated male patrols the area and brings her food, and both weather any storms doggedly, seemingly unphased by them.
When the owl chicks hatch, they are nearly naked and helpless, growing a full covering of downy feathers within four days. In about a week their eyes open, and they start learning to fly in about three to five weeks. The young owls are cared for three months or more, and the parents continue to feed them even after they have left the nest. By the time summer arrives, the young owls are quite capable predators.
However, their first year of life is the most hazardous, for they have to fly off and establish their own territories, and compete with older owls for food. It is a learning process of a lot of trial and error. But their hunting prowess improves, and mice, rats, rabbits and voles become their most frequent prey. Gradually, they also learn to catch snakes, and a wider variety of other mammals. Like other raptors, they swallow their food whole, regurgitating the indigestible parts.
Great horned owls are beneficial birds, with a regal bearing most fitting for a woodland monarch!
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