Newton (Great Horned Owl)
Bubo virginianus
Great
horned owls are one of the largest owls in California only topped by the Great
Grey Owl. They stand 18-23 inches tall
with a 5 foot wingspan. The females are
larger than the males. They are
amazingly camouflaged for cottonwood and oak woodlands. The basic body color is overall gray spotted
with brown, with white and black markings.
Their eyes are a deep yellow.
Their name “horned” owls comes from distinctive ear tufts that are 1 ½
to 2 inches long. They have a remarkably
strong grip, second only to eagles.
Great horned owls give a cry of 3-8 hoots. They are silent in flight. Because their eyes are positioned in the
front of their heads, they have excellent binocular vision even at close
range. Their vision at night is 100
times more sensitive than humans and their hearing is equally sensitive. The feathery facial disks help channel sound
to their large eardrums. They are
capable of turning their heads 270 degrees.
Newton fell from his nest and broke his right leg. His parents continued to feed him until someone found him after, what appeared to be, 4 weeks. Unable to rebreak and repair the leg, we worked with him in the hopes that he could support his weight on the crippled leg. So far, he is doing well and has replaced Galileo as our educational Great horned owl.