Great Horned Owl

(Bubo virginianus)

Arrived at Lakeside Nature Center March, 2010

A fisherman came across this two week old baby owl by itself along the banks of a local lake.  This was fairly late in the season for Great Horned Owls to be tending to young owlets.  It was tiny for its age and its right eye was noticeably smaller than the left.  With a consistent diet, it more than made up for its slight stature, but the eye started to get cloudy and developed a cataract.  It would not survive in the wild with this visual impairment, so it was trained for education use.  It has been amazing working with such an intelligent and inquisitive young owl!

Natural history notes.

Great horned owls are found throughout North America.

They fly silently, hunting for rodents and other small mammals.

The tufts of feathers on the top of his head help identify this owl.  They are NOT ears.

Check out this owl's picture gallery.

For more information on American kestrels, check out the Critter Corner entry.