GREAT
HOR NED OW LS
Equally comfortable nesting in
the cactuses of the Desert Southwest
as in the forests of the far north, the
great horned is one of the most wide-
spread owl species in North America.
Great horned owls are tough, taking
down other large predators like ospreys
and falcons with their strong talons.
These birds of prey have one of the most
diverse diets among owl species and are
capable of eating porcupines, scorpions,
bats, skunks and even other owls. They
are early-season nesters and have been
known to take over prefab nests built by
other birds. Despite their name, these
owls don’t actually have horns—the two
telltale points at the tops of their heads
are feather tufts.EARED OWLS
Long-eared owls are slim doppelgängers of great horned owls. But
take a closer look at their markings. Intersecting vertical and
horizontal barring creates a checkerboard-like pattern on their
chests, while great horneds only have horizontal barring. Long-
eareds roost in thick foliage near open areas where they hunt for prey,
which include voles, mice and young rabbits. Long-eared owls don’t
typically construct their own nests, instead moving into abandoned
ones built by other birds such as ravens, crows and hawks.
Short-eared owls live in open areas, preferring to hunt and roost
in grasslands, marshes and tundra. As you might have guessed from
their name, their “ears” are so short, they are difficult to see at all.
One of the most common owl species in the United States,
the short-eared is also one of the few owl species that build their
nests themselves. The female of a short-eared pair scrapes a bowl-
shaped nest into the ground and lines it with materials like grass
and soft feathers.
OW LS ON
THE PROWL
SHORT-EARED OWLS
FLY LOW WHILE
HUNTING.SCREECH-OWLS
There are three species of screech-owls in the United States:
eastern in the East, western in the West and whiskered along the
southern borders of Arizona and New Mexico. Screech-owls are
cavity-nesters and are enticed into wooded backyards with nest
boxes. Location aside, one of the best ways to distinguish between
them is by their calls. Eastern screech-owls can be heard giving
their best whinnying horse impersonations. Western and whiskered
screech-owls call out with hoots, toots and doots. Screech-owls eat
a variety of things, from insects to small mammals. • PREVIOUS SPREAD, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: RICHARD BUQUOI; ROLAND JORDAHL; RONALD S PHILLIPS/IMAGE FINDERS; THIS SPREAD, CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT: MARIE READ; KATHY ADAMS CLARK /KAC PRODUCTIONS; DAVE WELLING