![]() Young great horned owls must also master complex hunting maneuvers. It takes them longer to grow and mature than, say, a songbird. This is why most birds wait until temperatures are warm and mild. If the eggs become too cold, they won’t hatch. Eggs must be kept warm and incubated, which can be a challenge when the temperature is in the single digits and snow is falling.įemale owls stay on the nest for prolonged periods (and when they leave to hunt, the male will take over). Nesting early naturally entails some risk. © Jill Bauer/TNC Photo Contest 2019 Why Do Owls Nest So Early? Come January, they’ll begin setting in the nest – far earlier than most other birds. They’ll use an abandoned nest previously used by a red-tailed hawk, squirrel or other critter. The owls continue setting up their territory this month, and begin setting up a nest. ( Cornell’s All About Birds site features some great audio of these different calls). A common hooting pattern is a longer hoooooot, followed by two or three shorter hoots.Īnd these owls have a range of other vocalizations, too, some of which sound like barks or a screeching cat. The great horned owl’s hoot is pretty much unmistakable, although ornithology web sites often describe it in different ways. Most great horned owls mate for life, but in the fall the pair begin a courtship display, loudly calling to each other. That’s because, around October, male great horned owls begin setting up territories. But at this time of year, in the right location, a chorus of hoots provides the soundtrack to dawn and dusk. And it also has no trouble thriving around people: you can find them in parks, farms, small woodlots, suburbs and cities.ĭespite this, they’re not always easy to spot due to their nocturnal habits. It is at home in desert and wetland, forest and prairie. It’s also incredibly adaptable, found from Canada to Patagonia, and most places in between. Weird Nature: An Owl That Uses Dung Tools.The Amazing Lemming: The Rodent Behind the Snowy Owl Invasion?.This is the prototypical “wise old owl,” and the owl of cartoons and children’s books. The great horned owl, of course, is one of the most recognizable birds in the Americas, with its pointy feather tufts (the “horns”) and large fluffy appearance. Here’s what you need for your next owl outing. Now is the time to enjoy the great horned owl breeding season – a time when these charismatic birds are much easier to see and hear.ĭon a winter cap and head out to your local park or walking trail to enjoy one of the season’s coolest spectacles. It’s not until the trees begin to bud and flowers bloom that the birdsong fills the air.Īnd that’s true. In this season of cold, snow and holiday music, the North American bird breeding and nesting season seems months away.
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