Why great horned owls are one of the most successful predators in North America

The Great-horned owl is one of the most common owls in North America. Dale Gienow from WildNorth explains what else makes them so great.

The great horned owl is named for the two tufts of feathers on the head called “plumicorns.” They’re one of the most common owls in North America and they can fly over 60 km/h. Dale Gienow from WildNorth joined CTV Your Morning Edmonton’s Cory Edel on what Edmontonians need to do when they come across one.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Cory Edel: Are there a lot of great horned owls here in Edmonton?

Dale Gienow: There sure are. They’re a shy species and because they’re nocturnal, or only come out at night, we don’t see them often. But we do have a really healthy population right here in Edmonton.

Cory: Are they a dangerous bird to people or pets?

Dale: They’re actually one of the few predators that we have to be really careful about when we’re thinking about letting our cats and our small dogs outside. Great horned owls are formidable predators. They’re one of the most successful predators in North America and are capable of taking prey as large as house cats. So yes, we have to be a little bit careful. Also, it’s a risky proposition to approach their nests or young in the springtime because they’ll aggressively defend their nests.

Cory: What if we do see a baby out of the nest?

Dale: These guys are amongst the first birds to have young here in Edmonton. We start seeing babies in March, so pretty early. It’s not uncommon for them to fall out of the nest. They can kind of shuffle around and push each other out. If you see one, you shouldn’t approach it. You should call us or contact us at WildNorth because the parents can be very aggressive.

Cory: Are many injured or orphaned owls admitted to you at WildNorth?

Dale: Surprisingly, we get a fair number of them. They’ll have two to four babies in a nest. Since they can fall out of their nests, in the springtime we’re spending quite a bit of time collecting those babies and re-nesting them. We’re putting them back up into those tall trees, usually really dense trees like Black Spruce trees. If you have those around, that’s where you’re going to find their nests.

Cory: When it comes to winter, do they stay in the area? Or do they migrate south?

Dale: They do. This is a super hardy species. They’ll stick around all winter long. Some of our city’s birds of prey like our Swainson’s Hawks will migrate as far south as Argentina to keep warm. But these hardy owls know they’re going to stay here all winter long and do what they do, so they’re very accomplished. They’re found in deserts in North America, subarctic areas, forests, in the middle of cities, they’re very successful.

Cory: Would you say there’s any common misconceptions about them?

Dale: I think owls in general, they’re often regarded as harbors of ill omen. We think they can turn their heads all the way around, when in reality they can only turn their heads three quarters of the way around. Their eyes are literally fixed in their sockets, so they can’t move them back and forth like we can and that’s why they have to spin their head quite a ways around.

There’s also the misconception that they can’t see well during the day. They have excellent nighttime or daytime vision but because they hunt mostly using their ears, they don’t need to use their eyes at night as much. So that’s why they’re such great nighttime or nocturnal predators.

Cory: So if you see one during the day, it’s a treat to catch one I imagine?

Dale: One hundred per cent, it’s a banner day. They’re very shy owls, so it’s great to see them. But again, keep your small dogs on a leash and be wary about letting your house cats outside. In Edmonton, we have lots of other predators like coyotes and things that we have to be cautious of as well.