🦉 Great Horned Owl Facts for Kids

🪶 Birds Grades K–5

The great horned owl is a meat-eating bird that lives in North America and South America. The “horns” are really tufts of feathers.

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🦉 Great Horned Owl fact file

Scientific name: Bubo virginianus
Animal group: Bird
Where it lives: North America and South America
Habitat: Forests, deserts, swamps and even city parks across the Americas
Diet: Carnivore (meat-eater) — Mice, rabbits, birds, frogs and even skunks
Size: About 1½ to 2 feet tall, with a 3- to 5-foot wingspan
Weight: About 2–5½ lb
Life span: About 13 years in the wild
Status: Least Concern

📏 A great horned owl is about as tall as a bowling pin.

⭐ 5 fun facts about great horned owls

The “horns” are really tufts of feathers.
Owls can’t move their eyes, so they turn their heads — up to about 270 degrees.
Soft feather edges let them fly almost silently.
Their deep hoots — hoo-h’HOO-hoo-hoo — are the classic owl sound.
They are one of the few animals that regularly eat skunks.

Where do great horned owls live?

Wild great horned owls are found in North America and South America. Forests, deserts, swamps and even city parks across the Americas. If you want to see one in the United States, you might spot one in the wild — or visit a zoo or wildlife park.

What do great horned owls eat?

Great horned owls are carnivores, which means they eat other animals. Their menu: mice, rabbits, birds, frogs and even skunks.

Is the great horned owl endangered?

Status: Least Concern. That means there are plenty in the wild right now — good news! You can help wild animals by learning about them, saving energy, cutting down on plastic and supporting zoos, aquariums and parks that protect wildlife.