The great horned owl is not only the most formidable in appearance of all owls, but it is also the most powerful.
The great horned owl is not only the most formidable in appearance of all owls, but it is also the most powerful.
The great gray owl (Strix nebulosa) and the snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) may appear larger, but the great horned owl exceeds them in courage, weight, and strength. Indeed, it little regards the size of its victim for it strikes down geese and turkeys many times its weight, and has even been said at times to drive the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) away from its aery and domicile its own family therein. In one case, the owl laid its eggs in a cavity in the side of an eagle’s nest and both families occupied the same habitation.
• Image | © Josh More, Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
• Sources | (Bent, 1937; Broley, 1947; Forbush, 1929; Jacobs, 1908)
