Great Horned Owl — Species Information

Species common name: Great Horned Owl
Latin name: Bubo virginianus
Order, family: Strigiformes, Strigidae
Range, habitat: Throughout North America, from sub-tundra to desert, urban to rural, and everything in between.
Weight: 750-2500 g
Wingspan: 101-145 cm
Length: 46-59 cm
Lifespan: 8-10 wild, 25-35 captivity.
Clutch, nest: 1-5 eggs. Steals nests from other large birds, does not build its own.
Predators: Golden eagle, northern goshawk.
Prey: Most varied diet of raptors: large insects, reptiles, amphibians, other birds, small mammals including skunks and jackrabbits.

A great horned owl can close its feet with 500 psi (pounds per square inch). The average human exerts- squeezing as hard as we can- 80-150 psi. However, the story that owls will eat your dogs/cats is an urban legend; an owl can only lift around its own body weight (2-3 lbs) and owls are found throughout urban areas. While we don't like to say it 'never' happens, it certainly doesn't happen with frequency. Owls will dive at cats, dogs and even people if they have a nest in the area, sometimes misconstrued as a hunting attempt.