Hammer Point, Great Horned Owls

Hammer Point Great Horned Owl Update

If you have followed my Posts regularly, you will remember that a family of Great Horned Owls (a male and female) moved into the neighborhood back in October. After living in a Palm tree for many weeks,  they made their move and evicted a pair of Ospreys from their nest, so basically, the Owls waited for the Ospreys to do all the work then they moved in with a vengeance.

The Hammer Point Horned Owl Perps

Expectant Mother, laying low

 Not too long after the occupation, two baby Horned Owls were born, which for the longest time were just two white balls of fluff, now as you see from these most recent pictures,  they have started to develop light brown plumage, for which these birds are know. 

Baby Great Horned Owls

Patiently waiting for their next meal

MEASUREMENTS: The Great Horned Owl has a body length of 18 - 25 inches, a wingspan up to 5 feet, and weighs 2 - 5 pounds. HABITAT: Great Horned Owls are found in a wide variety of wooded habitats, including forests, swamps, deserts, rocky areas, farmland, and urban areas from sea level to 12,000 feet, throughout much of North and South America. DIET: This owl eats a variety of small to medium mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, insects, and occasionally carrion if other food is scarce. Great Horned Owls hunt at dusk and during the night from a perch, while flying low over the ground, walking on the ground, or wading into water. REPRODUCTION: Great Horned Owls nest in other birds’ stick nests, natural tree hollows, man-made platforms, or on cliff ledges or cave entrances. The female usually lays 1 - 3 eggs that are incubated for 26 - 35 days. The young birds start to wander away from the nest in 6 - 7 weeks, but don’t fully learn to fly until about 10 - 12 weeks of age. The fledglings are tended by the parents for up to 5 months. This owl typically matures in 2 years. NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Latin word bubo, which refers to an owl, and the Latinized name for the state of Virginia, where the first specimen was taken for scientific collection. The common name refers to the large size of the bird and the feather tufts on its head. This owl has also been called Big Hoot Owl, Cat Owl, Chicken Owl, Eagle Owl, Horned Owl, and King Owl. INTERESTING FACTS: The Great Horned Owl is referred to as “the tiger of the sky” because of its fierce nature and ability to capture a wide variety of prey that may be larger or heavier than the owl. The Great Horned Owl is one of the few species that occasionally preys on skunks. In humid habitats, the plumage of this owl tends to be darker brown, whereas in arid areas the Great Horned Owl may be lighter in color. This is a typical plumage color trend in many animals.