# Great Horned Owl

*Bubo virginianus*

Their grip strength is estimated at 300 psi, which is comparable to the bite force of a large guard dog.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Strigiformes › Strigidae › Bubo
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Extremely adaptable, found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, desert scrub, and urban parks.
- **Diet:** Generalist carnivore; consumes rodents, hares, ducks, and even skunks or other birds of prey.
- **Range:** North America, Central America, South America
- **Size:** Wingspan of 3 to 5 feet; weight of 2 to 5 pounds.
- **Lifespan:** 13-15 years in the wild
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Secondary poisoning from rodenticides, habitat fragmentation, and vehicle collisions.
- **Safe to approach?:** Generally harmless and elusive, but can be highly defensive near nest sites. Maintain a distance of at least 30 feet. If the owl clicks its beak or hisses, you are too close; back away slowly. If scratched by talons, wash the area thoroughly and seek medical attention to prevent infection.

## About

The great horned owl ( Bubo virginianus ), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air") or the hoot owl , is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. Its primary diet is rabbits and hares, rats and mice and voles, although it freely hunts...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/eda0c54b-6f75-4d7d-971b-ee4bdc553eee
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/20044
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubo virginianus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/79388250/medium.jpg (Ben Hayden, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.