Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owls are our most common owl. They are large birds, fearsome hunters taking small mammals and other birds.
BELOW: left, Great Horned Owl female on nest with two fluffy chicks; right, Great Horned Owl male in profile.
BELOW: left, Great Horned Owl female on nest with two fluffy chicks; right, Great Horned Owl male in profile.
Barred Owl. These large owls nest in conifer forests but descend to the valley floor sometimes in winter to find food.
This Barred Owl below seen last year was peeking at us as we watched it!
Northern Hawk Owls (below) are denizens of the northern boreal forest, not seen here every year.
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Above left is a Northern Pygmy Owl, a small daytime hunter. It was snowing when I took this photo.
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Above right is another small owl, a Northern Saw-whet Owl. It was roosting in this tree cavity, and sleepily poked its head out as we watched.
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Below is a Great Gray Owl. These large owls like to hunt at dusk. They nest in the upper forests. The one pictured was snoozing on a tree branch while occasionally scanning the field below for prey under the snow.
