Great Horned Owl - Ross Feldner

Sometimes called “tiger of the night” the Great Horned Owl is an extremely aggressive nighttime hunter with a big appetite.

Using their powerful talons and great wing lift capacity they are able to carry prey that are heavier than they are. They are strictly carnivores that eat raccoons, squirrels, rodents, falcons, rabbits, mice, rats, voles, minks, ferrrets and sometimes other owls. Not a picky eater! Great Horned Owls will also take on skunks and rattlesnakes. According to the author Carol Lee, "Almost any living creature that walks, crawls, flies, or swims, except the large mammals, is the Great Horned Owl's legitimate prey."

Like other owls it is capable of “silent flight,” able to fly without making any discernable noise despite its size. This is thanks to the owl’s wing structure. The leading edge of the wings have serrations that disrupt the air turbulence of wing flapping, then softer feathers help deaden the sound and lastly the trailing fringe of the feathers also reduces the sound of flight.

Great Horned Owl's other hunting tools include large, powerful talons — which when spread are 8” talon to talon — and their disc shaped face that directs sound toward the ears.