Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Born: 1994

Gender: Female

Acquired: March 28, 1996

From: The Wildlife Center of Virginia, Waynesboro VA

Disability: Hit by car; nerve damage on right side

Preferred habitats include woodlands, areas along cliffs and rocky canyons, and forest openings.

The Great Horned Owl will eat birds ranging in size from kinglets to Great Blue Herons, and it regularly eats other owls. Although it is a large bird (18 to 27" high), the Great Horned Owl's prey can often weigh up to three times the weight of bird itself. They may prey on foxes and domestic cats, as well as skunks. Their vile-smelling defensive spray has no effect on the Great Horned Owl (for one thing, they have no sense of smell).

In frigid areas, where larger prey cannot be eaten quickly, they may let uneaten food freeze and then thaw it out later using their own body heat.

The life expectancy of the Great Horned Owl is 15 to 20 years in the wild. In captivity their lifespan is usually from 25 to 30 years.