Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) — Owls of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 1.4 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Bubo
- Species virginianus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.4 kg
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look alike in plumage; females average 10-20% larger.
Juvenile appearance
Natal down is whitish, becoming pale buffy-gray with fine barring; ear tufts and the adult facial-disc pattern are not yet developed.
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Horned Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Great Horned Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.4 kg, with a wing length of about 35.2 cm and a tail of around 18.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 24.4 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Horned Owl?
The Great Horned Owl is a very large bird that weighs around 1.4 kg.
Where does the Great Horned Owl live?
The Great Horned Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Great Horned Owl belong to?
The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Great Horned Owl eat?
The Great Horned Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Great Horned Owl migrate?
The Great Horned Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Great Horned Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Horned Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Great Horned Owl — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Horned Owl's range?
The Great Horned Owl has a mapped global range of about 24.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.