Essay Preview: Owls
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Cronin, Todd
Vinklarek
4/11/05
The Great Horned Owl
1. The Great Horned Owl
2. Bubo virginianus
3. Wingspan: 30 – 60″: Length: 18 – 25″: Weight: 3 pounds
4. Yellow eyes and dark bill; Upper parts mottled brown, gray, and black; Pale under parts with fine brown bars; Reddish-brown facial disks bordered by black with a lower border of white; White throat patch
5. Great Horned Owls have adapted to many different places and climates. They occur in habitats from dense forests, deserts and plains to city parks. They have been known to inhabit the same area as the diurnal red-tailed hawk.
6. In Texas, the TBBAP data show that the Great Horned Owl can be found all across the state in the breeding season. This is consistent with Oberholsers (1974) description, calling it common to uncommon virtually throughout. It was confirmed most often in the extreme southern portion of the state, with 17 confirmed records south of Latitude 27. The only area that did not have several TBBAP records was in extreme west Texas. However, this may have been due to incomplete atlas coverage, not a lack of owls.
7. Solitary Animal
8. Carnivore; small mammals
9. Winter
10. Offspring
11. A long-lived Owl, captive birds have been known to live 29 to 38 years, and wild Owls up to 13 years. Most mortality is related to man – shootings, traps, road kills and electrocutions. The only natural enemies are other Great Horned Owls and, occasionally, Northern Goshawks during disputes over nest sites.
12. 494 with only 26% confirmed
13. Squirrels and Eurasian Great Owls
14. Neither endangered or threatened
15.