In this picture you can see the tufts of feathers that have been given the name "horns". You may think of them as ears, but both are wrong. They have nothing to do with hearing. they are just a unique feature that this beautiful bird of prey possesses.

Kingdom: Animalia

Common Name:
Great Horned Owl

Scientific Name: Bubo virginianus

Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Anamalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigiedae
Genus: Bubo
Species: virginianus

Natural Range
The great horned owl can be found throughout the entire North American continent. They range from the northern tree line of North America down through Central and South America.

Interesting Facts
This specific owl has a wide variety of sounds that it makes from hoots to shrieks. When hunting it is able to carry off prey up to 3 times his own weight. they have been recorded living up to 38 years in captivity and about an average of 13 years in the wild. They have a wingspan of 5 feet! The tufts of feathers on top of its head that look like horns or ears actually have nothing to do with hearing at all.

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The Great Horned Owl and CLHS

The Great Horned Owl is a welcomed resident of our area. They are a very beautiful and amazing creature. Although they are not seen to often here on campus, due to the lack of people out at night, they are well known to this area and are seen on occasion here.