Amazing video! Thank you so much for your love of our wonderful birds. My Dad and my Uncle passed the joy of feeding , watching, watering, caring for them to me and my family
@@cobrachicken07 Thank you so much. Nova, a female Blue Jay I knew since she was a juvenile is the one in that photo. She was so angry with that owl because it was very close to where she was nesting. She did not let up until it finally left.
One day, while out hunting, I went into a thicket and came eye to eye with a Great Horned Owl. Since, it was low in the trees, the owl was sitting only a foot or two above me and about ten feet away. I stopped on a dime and was shocked by its beauty and its giant eyes staring back into mine. I stood mesmerized for a long time because I didn't want to move and scare it away. Eventually, I noticed a fallen log and decided I'd sit down and try not to spook it. I stayed there for about half and hour. The owl soon got bored of me and was looking around and wasn't bothered by my presence. Finally, I said goodbye and wondered off. In that snow covered wood, with the owl's grey, white and black coat, and its giant green eyes, I felt like I was in a dream world, a surreal fantasy. Because it was so amazing, it didn't seem real.
My wife and I did the same thing in the Southwest out in the Mesa. We were walking our dogs and I looked up and a great horned owl couldn't have been more than 5 ft away from my wife's head less than 10 ft away from me. He was so beautiful he looked fake.
Thanks for this. I recently had a huge tree blow down that had a nest in it and 2 young Great Horned Owls. I used new gloves to prevent my smell from getting on them and I put them in another tree and hoped mom would still care for them. She actually sort of stayed in the area the rest of the day and so I had high hopes. But for the next 2 days she never returned and one of the young owls died. I contacted our wildlife resource people and of course they said I had to leave them alone even if it meant their death, or I could drive them to a rehab place 4.5 hours away. I know people reading this will say I shouldn't intervene but knowing it was a sure death sentence, I did. I''ve had the little guy for 17 days now (2.5 weeks) and he/she eats like crazy, takes lots of water, and is growing super fast. I have a vet who is helping advice me and has helped me a lot. This little guy was already aboyt 1/2 grown I'd guess. He already had feathers on wings and back but still down on head and chest. It's been an amazing experience. This video was helpful. And yes, I absolutely plan to release him as soon as he can fly. This isn't a situation where I'm trying to make a pet of a majestic wild animal that deserves to be free. I'm just trying to give him that chance at life.
@@damamae950 yuh tell that to some true native folks, their ancestors are doing flips in their graves. Government has no business in anything such as how they think they can govern or try to govern sacred animals. lmfao
@@damamae950 That is SERIOUSLY good advice. Really. Had I known what a big deal it was when I took in my baby owls, I might not have done it. The good news is I saved its life and released it b4 many people knew, and I doubt they will come after me a year after I released it. But its such good advice and information I didn't know at the time. (there are videos of mine on my YT channel)
We have a pair here that I only hear in the winter. I’ve never heard them in the summer. They were here just the other night. It’s a treat when they visit. It’s such a soothing sound to hear them outside.
I have 3 ponds within 1/4 mile of my home. The wildlife is crazy! The owls are a very vocal bunch. There’s 3 of them at least near me. Hear them all year long! Their calls travel quite a distance late at night when it’s real cold and quiet! Hear them miles away!
The most impressive thing to me about the great horned is how absolutely silent they are in flight. It is stunning to be walking through the woods and suddenly have that great wingspan unfold and the bird drifts off further into the forest without the slightest sound.
Had one fly right over my head at about twenty feet above. It came from behind me while I was fishing on a large boulder. I'm glad I'm not a coonskin cap kind of guy.😉
Yes while walking my dogs in the hills one early evening from behind us a large one flew about 3feet over my shoulder to a tree 100 yards ahead. Never heard it and surprised the h*** out of us all. I thought i felt a slight disturbance in the air but totally silent and extremely impressive to have a wild animal that size come so close. Like a giant moth or a mini Mothra! I'll never forget.
I retired to rural San Diego County 4 years ago and immediately discovered I had a breeding pair of Great Horned Owls as neighbors. Their nest site has varied over time, and this past year they have decided to nest some distance away so that I only heard their territorial hooting rarely. But just this morning at dawn I heard them, and they came to the tree right above my house so I got to see them too! I love them and am grateful to have moved into such a wonderful neighborhood.
We have a wooded area behind our house and we hear them every now and then, especially late evening after sunset. We adore their sounds and would love to see them, but so far they've been elusive.
About 4 years ago in the fall, I was on a ladder under my deck, clipping off grape vines. I was startled to see a young Great Horned about 3 feet from my shoulder calmly watching me! It was sitting on the beam. It stayed about a half hour then gracefully flew away. What a treasure to see it so close.
Have a pair that nests in a cemetery in my city. I found them through two women who told me their nests had been failing due to the bottoms falling out. They asked the cemetery for permission to build platforms for the nests but they refused, so they both snuck in at night and installed them anyway hahaha. The owl pair have had some beautiful children. I also recently got sung to sleep one night by a pair duet while on a 9 day hitch on Mt. Lemmon. They're really one of my favorite birds.
Hahaha, that is so funny. I'm glad that they did. It sounds so nice about hearing them at night and falling asleep to their hooting. I'd love that. Thank you for watching. Have a great night
Thats great i hate how people are. like installing the nest bottoms were going to effect anything other than the owls im glad they did it anyway i would've too
RIGHT ON! re: asked the cemetery for permission to build platforms for the nests but they refused, so they both snuck in at night and installed them anyway
Years ago sitting in a treestand one landed about 10 feet away in the same tree as me and started hooting...he never knew I was there. It was one of the most majestic experiences ever and I'll never forget it
The owl knew you were there, don't let it fool you. They have exceptional eyesight which ranges from 10 to 100 times better than humans. I work at a raptor center with several different species of owls and hawks/falcons.
The beak snapping is warning to stay back I was hunting an found a horned owl caught in a steel trap I sat by him about an hour he finally let me release him he was angry but unharmed
I hear one outside my window most nights...if I'm not mistaken, there's more than one..carrying on a hooting conversation..when they start...I'm all ears!!👍👍😉😎...thanks as always Lesley I've never heard some of those calls!! Thank you!!😉😎😁
Aww, no way! That is awesome, Raymond. It must be so neat to listen to them like that. Some of their calls sure are unique, thank you for watching. Have a wonderful night
I am addicted to your videos. I cannot begin to explain how much I enjoy them all. Your information on each bird species is what I have longed for since I began bird feeding and watching. The nuances of behavior and vocalizations are simply fascinating . Thank you for sharing all your information and hard work. ❤
You're most welcome, Kate. I love your videos. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. I especially loved the clip of the itty bitty hummingbird coming up to catch a look at the owl. So cute.
Had my grandsons watch your video. They have heard a pair of great horned owls in our woods at night, and they always want to know more about these birds that they hear but can't see. Your video really delivered for them. Thank you!
I know I thought that was so sweet too. Pacific North West Kate must be so happy to have caught that on camera. I'm thankful that she allowed me to use it in my video for others to see. :)
They have fringes on their flight feathers that makes flying almost completely silent. We had people from the U of M raptor center demonstrate this comparing a red tailed hawk and and owl by holding them up and having them flap their wings. It was amazing and a little eerie too!
I have a pair that live here on my property. It seems the male comes & visits me almost daily. I have food sources out (feeding stations and I think this is what attracts them. About 0200 - 0400 in the mornings, I will have four great horned owls gather in my shop/yard area. They do carry on. However, they are always welcome here & will be protected from human predators. MY cat says she doesn't like them.....
We spotted some horned owls (don't know if they're the same as great horned owls) in a suburban park in southern Manitoba (Winnipeg) this year. It was a father and his two fledglings which were huge and fluffy and oooh so beautiful. The father was being harassed by a murder of crows. My buddy heard the commotion and knew what it was right away and ran through the brambles to shoo away the crows. Then we had 40 minutes of pure bird watching glory, watching these 3 magnificent dinosaurs attempt to fly and faulter while the father closely monitored them and us. He was grateful we sent the crows away. They dive bombed him at times. It was the most magical nature moment I had since the red breasted nut hatch let me pet him. Thanks Lesley for igniting my bird luck! I watch all the time and I think it's helping!
Oh wow, what an awesome experience to have. I bet the father owl was happy too :) How sweet about you petting a red-breasted nuthatch. Have a great night
They really lack any cuteness whatsoever, but I would never hunt them and didn't realize that people do that. Any animal that dines on rodents, etc is ok with me.
Thank you for the great info. Just looked up this video after hearing our first owl hoots on our land. It was two owls hooting as well. So now I know it was 2 mates getting ready to nest!
I saw a great horned owl today in my backyard sleeping in a tree. He was there for about 2 hours left then returned the same day for another nap. It opened its large yellow eyes & looked at me ❤. I was fortunate to see it fly away. They are so Beautiful & Magical.
They normally have favorite trees that they sleep in during the day. Pretty cool. That means his territory includes your yard. Because they camouflage so easily You can find what trees they like by looking for whitewash(owl poop) all on the branches/trunk. And sometimes you can find their pellets(bones/fur) that they regurgitate.
@@QUEENBEE200384 Thank you. I have found their reguritated food (a sparrow) in my backyard. I look for it 🦉 everyday, but I have only seen it Once in my backyard.
In the winter I was lucky to hear two sounds in the apartment I lived in. Trains with their distant horns & owls hooting in the night. It gave me a bit of warmth in those cold months to hear them. I love your videos. I learn so much about these birds I love from afar. 🦉 I really liked the audio of the male & female calls. It's so odd that they aren't very picky but in being that way they have more options. Your videos are a great blend of common & rare knowledge. And I love that you make them relatable. Human in a way that can get people to understand and grow to love these birds. 🤗
Great coverage! I had a pair very close to where I lived in Sugarland, TX... My brother got a suprise when one of these swooped down likely going for my brother's wife's little "toy" dog in their back hard... Then took up purchase multiple times on the back railing of his very open back yard.. Dogs get escorts for now... But, they are awesome to watch and my neice will literally spend hours sitting in the dining area that faces the back watching them... She got her first pair of binos recently and she doesn't leave home right now without them... Thanks for the video!
Loved this video. Learned quite a bit about the great horned owls. Have seen them a few times in my life and am always impressed and awed!! Absolutely gorgeous birds ❤
I think these owls have the creepiest winks in nature, LOL! Thank you for another entertaining and informative video, and thank you for mentioning the threats these amazing creatures face, especially poisons. It does seem to me that there's a pattern in nature with fierce predators being very involved parents -- wolverines come to mind.
I'm not sure what owl species has taken up residence in the tractor barn and smoke house on our property but we've definitely scared the heck out of each other a few times.😳🦉🦉🦉
Have had a fascination w/ owls for as long as I can recall -- love their stealth-mode flight. I live on the Monterey Bay in Central California and have a family of Great Horned owls along a levy walk near my home. Love to listen to them hooting at each other. Didn't know the difference in tone between the sexes, so thanks for that heads-up. These conversations will have more meaning, in future.
I used to camp in the USFS woodlands south of Ft Hunter Liggett decades ago (1987-2007). Lots of GHO's there & mtn lions & coyotes & elk & deer as well. Now I live in the Rocky Mtns which is similar just colder.
We had a grey owl in our woods. I estimate its wing span 5’-6’. A very big bird! When it would break cover and come down through the woods, it was always at 10’-20’ above ground level. Prehistoric, ancient - I always ducked. It was in the genes; not voluntary. Courtesy of Half Vast
@@micahbirdlover8152 G’day, Micah. Really! I’ve either never heard that, or didn’t recognize it. Fifty years ago, I lived in Northern California , on prairie lands. Burrowing owls were there. They are only about 7”-8” tall, and live in shallow holes in the ground. Interesting little creatures. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
The most majestic bird I have been blessed to see on multiple occasions. Each time equally as breathtaking as the last. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on our feathered friends.
I loved your narrative. I've actually touched a Great Horned Owl in an owl coffee shop in Japan that the proprietor claimed was just a way station in preparation for putting them back in the wild. This owl was very friendly, and only about half the size of a huge Eurasian Eagle Owl in the same room.
Thank you for this very well done and informative video! I recently attended the Rockport/Fulton, TX annual 'Hummerbird Celebration'. Thousand of Hummingbirds show up there in mid-September prior to migrating across the Gulf of Mexico. While there I attended a 'Raptor Demonstration/Talk' presented by a rescue group called 'Sky Kings'. One of their birds was a Eurasion Eagle Owl -- the second largest Owl Species. What an impressive owl -- 6.5 ft. wingspan. I also got to do some close up photos of a beautiful rescued Great Horned Owl, named Charlene at 'Wings Rescue Center'. The whole thing was a great experience.
Great horned owls are so awesome! The babies are funny looking in a cute way, lol.☺ It is pretty sweet how devoted owls are as parents. Thank you for another great video- always learn something new!🙂
There's a great horned owl that lives somewhere very close to my house. It's a great treat to hear him or her hooting not too far from my bedroom window, usually on moonlit nights, as I go to sleep.
Because of my neurodivergence (ADHD) I've always opened up my eyes really wide for long periods of time when I'm stimulated by my environment, so I feel a lot of kindred spirit with these owls! Watching them always makes me feel better.
I have ADHD, too (as well as Asperger’s Syndrome). I feel like my hyper-focus and heightened hearing senses associated with Asperger’s Syndrome and my inattentiveness or tendency to pick up bird sounds that most regular people would disregard as white noise give me strengths that are almost bird-like in nature, like the super-sensitive hearing of owls. I also think it enables me to have a deeper fondness and connection to birds as well.
Have a large Great-horned Owl living on the farm here in Northern Montana, there are many big trees and bushes around the farmstead which fostered quite a few cottontails this spring, probably why he is here. Going to have to share with the Big Barn Owl and the Hawlks thoe.
This actually helped me identify the owl that had taken residence in my neighborhood! I live near the city and I've always wondered what type of owl would even find comfort living in such an urban area, and I remember the hoots being exactly like this! Unfortunately haven't heard it lately, but every once in a while, every few weeks or so, I'll hear it at night.
I haven't seen Owls around my neighborhood but Hawks are occasional visitors. These birds of prey are stunningly beautiful and it's always such a privilege to see them!
Thanks for this lovely and informative share on these wonderful Great Horned Owls Lesley. Love the way they where showed and presented in this video my friend. Nice to see all photos and videos provided by the following in your description. Enjoyed as always Irene.✨💖
There are at least two in the "wildlife refuge" behind my house. I hear them late in the night. They are so wonderful to hear, I love owls. This was a beautiful video, thank you !!
Aww how wonderful it must be to hear them in the middle of the night. I'd love to hear them. I'm very happy that you enjoyed this video. Thank you for watching
I know, right? I thought Hummingbirds were already bold enough by chasing away bees and their own kind while feeding (and also brave enough to approach humans), but I didn’t expect them to be that bold. They make the bold and curious chickadee seem skittish and timid. Hummingbirds are so intriguing.
@@BirdsandGhibliFan I've seen Hummingbirds checking out Hawks also. I guess they're kind of fearless since they can probably out-run or out-maneuver most other birds.
In my 6 plus decades I have never had the joy of seeing one. As consolation, my area is home to several bald eagles and on any given day all I need do is look up and there it is. Lesley, your channel is great. Thank you for all the time and effort you place into your work.
My first great horned owl encounter was after a hurricane when I was a kid. A large female was sitting in our yard the morning after the storm, looking around like “where on earth am I?” She spent two days in our trees before moving on - quite a spectacular bird!
There is a GHO pair that nest 50 yds from my bedroom window . Their assorted communications entertain us every night. Like my neighbor recently proclaimed ' They are a real hoot to listen to !?❤😂✌️👍
17 years ago, when we moved in here, we had a family of those owls in the woods behind the house. The big one, with a wing span of 6-7 feet, came on the fence to eye my 60 pound female dog through the window. It was huge, and when it took off, the entire window went dark. Yes, it was daytime. The owls have since left due to urban sprawl and deforestation. So sad, but we had a few good years together,. I hope they found a new home. :)
@@frankmorse7929 Whatever kind of owl it was, that's at least the wing span of the one I had on the fence. From the gate to the wall is 10 feet, so gauging it was no problem. But thanks for correcting me, I'm sure we're all better off for it.
@@warhorse1956 You sure it wasn't an eagle?! 😁 5 ft is large for a GHO. And you can bet they "found a new home".... They just took somebody else's! 😊 They are amazing creatures.
@@carlwilliams6977 Yes, I'm 100% sure it was an owl. The body was also very large in height and girth. I'm no bird expert in the least, maybe it was another type of owl, but it was definitely an owl. I also have those huge woodpeckers here, could it be my area has some dinosaurs left? LOL
The Eurasian Eagle Owl has a wingspan of 7 feet but the GHO is only about 5 feet. The Eurasian eagle owl is a close relative a looks similar, except they are quite a bit bigger.
Great video. I use to work at night out side and I have seen a few Great Horned Owls and even a Snow Owl once on a cold February night. It was amazing to watch! I could hear then hoot as well at night. And they are quiet when they fly. I would watch them fly also on those nights at work. If I was a bird I'd be a Grear Horned Owl I think!!.
Really informative and enjoyable video! I've never had the opportunity to see a Great Horned Owl. Hopefully soon as they're reported occasionally in my area around Ottawa. That food list is amazing and definitely makes them a successful species of owl!
Aww, I hope that you get to see one very soon! That diet of theirs definitely must have a helping hand with their success! Thank you for watching. Have a great night
When I was a kid in elementary school, back in the mid 1970's my next door neighbor was a licensed falconer and he owned a RedTail Hawk as well as a Great Horned Owl. He had a perch that the owl lived on that was maybe fifteen feet from our common yard fence. For about four or five years they lived next door. The owl was incredible. Giant in size and beautiful. I went with my neighbor a few times to take the birds flying at some local farms to catch rodents, snakes, etc... . About one year before my neighbor moved away he had been given a Golden Eagle by the Fish and Game that had been wounded and so I had a hawk, owl and eagle living next door, just over a low fence that I could admire daily. Also, we lived about a mile from the beach about a mile from Los Angeles International Airport in a residential neighborhood in the heart of LA. Not your typical city housepets. They eventually moved to Idaho. I was very lucky. I also raised a Raven from a chick at that time, into its adulthood for a couple of years until it flew away and lived with a murder of crows in the neighborhood for another couple of years and then it disappeared.
@@dbpgh ---No, Ravens are Not crows. They are a different species. They both are of the Corvus family. But Ravens are the size of a hawk with 3-4 ft wingspan and crows are maybe 18 inches wingspan. Ravens have a bigger thicker beak, and different shaped tail than crows. They also have many more vocalization sounds. A Raven can be taught to speak if you splice their tongue to a fork like, from what I was told at one time. I thought that hanging out with crows that it was very strange at the time. One thing I left out was another neighbor, across the street had one of the sibling Raven chicks of the one we had and after I helped teach mine to fly, it's sibling obviously was doing the same with my neighbor and they both lived cage free in our respective back yards. They discovered each other (besides us physically introducing them as chicks) about six months or so after learning to fly. And they both stayed around the houses for about a year or more then they started to fly around the nearby neighborhood exploring but would come home for food and whatever. Then they both flew away and didn't come back for a few weeks but we would see them flying around the neighborhood. They were living in some big trees that lined the fence of the little league field about four blocks from my house. And that's when we started seeing them flying with a murder of crows. They definitely stood out, being about twice the size of the crows. They stayed around for about six months to a year before they disappeared completely. It was kinda sad but really cool at the same time. I was only about ten or eleven yrs old at that time.
I had a wonderful experience with a pair of Great Horned Owls in November 1992 while bowhunting deer(all birds are protected) on the Hog Island Wildlife Management Area in Surry County Virginia. I was sitting 20feet up in a tree in a pine tree thicket watching a blood red sunset due to Mt Pinatubo eruption. A pair of GH Owls sitting in trees about 20-30 feet apart were hooting at each other. Then suddenly I see this large shadow coming right at me. One of the owls past by at no more than 6-8 feet. The cool thing was as this very large bird passed by, he/she was UTTERLY silent...not even a whisper of sound from its wing beats, a testament to the sound dampening ability off their wings. This refuge on the James River is managed primarily for waterfowl, but is perfect habitat for owls and hawks with hundreds of acres of milo planted every year that attract rabbits, mice voles and other small mammals. Pine and hardwood areas provide good nesting habitat for many species of birds. You've not heard anything till you hear a Blue heron rookery during nesting season!! LOL This refuge is well worth visiting if you're a birder. Sorry for the long post Leslie. I couldn't help myself. :)
No need to say sorry at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your lovely story about that experience you had. You painted the scene so beautifully. Thank you very much for sharing that with me. And yes, I know completely what you mean about the lack of sound when they take flight. I will never forget that back in 2019 when I had my first encounter. It was so quiet, not a breeze. I was only 15 feet (give or take) from the owl recording. When it took flight there wasn't a bit of sound. I knew they were like that but it's quite something when you witness it for yourself. I can only imagine what your experience must have been like at that close range. That refuge sounds like a birders paradise for sure. Have a great night, Pete
Nice. I had something similar happen...sitting in a treestand. I was wearing camo head to toe...I never heard it coming, I just noticed two big eyeballs sailing straight at me. I lifted my arm to protect my face, at the last second it pulled straight up in front of me and landed on a branch just above my head...it looked at me kinda puzzled. The only thing that wasn't camouflaged was my shooting hand....THAT'S what he was homing in on. He probably thought it was some type of small animal.
A couple of these live in the palm trees on the side of my house. So beautiful and lovely to hear their duets. I'm thankful for the pest control they provide as well!
I worked with a wildlife rehabber and got to see a couple of these close up- vehicle strikes were the cause 100% of the time. I'd love to know more about how these birds make it through the long winters here in the North Eastern US.
I watched your wonderful video after hearing two Great Horned Owls duetting in our large pine tree tonight. I recorded them and posted on eBird. A few years ago they brought three young to the same pine in our front yard and, of course, I was snapping photos!
I was walking my Boston Terrier in the woods and came across a great horned owl in a tree.... the stare that bird gave my dog...like "mmmmm dinner" was terrifying.
Wonderful video, Leslie! I learn so much from you! Owls are such fascinating birds! I loved your footage and the sounds you provide. We have a small patch of woods in rural MD inhabited by several barred owls, so I suppose we won’t have any Great Horned any time soon. It saddens me to learn that the GHO is reduced by 1/3 in our lifetimes. You can correct me, but I believe this is pretty much across all bird species. We just aren’t careful enough with our planet.
I've had the pleasure of both hearing a great horned owl, and seeing one. They are so big! This was an enjoyable video to watch and very informative. Thank you!
Very nice and informative video! I never knew that Great Horned Owls were so common. They are really spectacular looking, and their owlets are adorable. I also never knew they preyed on Ospreys. You wouldn't think they'd have the courage to attack such a large bird! I always learn so much from your videos. Thank you!
I’m a bird photographer that loves to capture all types of birds with my camera, but owls are my absolute favorite because of the challenge involved in finding them. The thrill of the hunt, I guess. I’ve successfully photographed all four species of owl that we have in the Southeast U.S.: Great Horned, Barn, Eastern Screech and Barred. It took lots of hiking, but I captured my first GHO in the wild on, of all dates, Halloween 2020. Then, in March of this year, there was a lot of local photographer buzz about a pair of Great Horned owlets at a local state park. For some reason, the parents nested on a low limb of a live oak tree right off the side of a main walking/bike path. Very odd for such an elusive owl, but the parents seemed to be very relaxed as we humans stared at their owlets. Neither parent ever showed aggression of any sort. The nest was nothing more than the ferns and moss that grew on the limb…another thing that seemed odd. Both owlets successfully fledged despite the attention they received from lots of humans staring at them. They were the cutest things, and I was blessed to have gotten lots of wonderful photographs of what will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I’d be glad to share a few photos if you’d like.
For close to six years, I had photographed the spring arrival of great blue herons at a small rookery in a local forest preserve (about 35 miles west of Chicago), documenting the growth of the rookery each spring (usually, a dozen nests survived the winter, but the rookery often grew to twice that number by late spring). Two years ago, a pair of great horned owls took over one of the nests in the winter months. Unaware, I'd visit the rookery with my camera, watching a pair of herons arrive one day, only to be gone in the following days. This went on for several weeks before I finally spotted Momma owl and a couple of owlets sticking their heads up above the edge of the nest. I was heartbroken to see the herons leave -- so many good photo opps disappeared. On the other hand, I was grateful they left for a natural reason, and not one caused by people. The owls abandoned the nest the following year -- the nest failed to survive fall and early winter, so they had nothing to return to.
No one is safe! LOL! I have never seen a great horned owl as yet, but some day I hope to see one in real life. Their yellow eyes are extraordinary; I can only imagine the awe-inspiring, and somewhat terrifying, feeling of looking into those piercing eyes. Thank you so much for sharing all this info, Lesley. Yet again, I learned so much (for ex. I had no idea they made such a variety of vocalizations or that the young stayed so long with the parents). Lovely video. Thanks yet again.
I have 5 great horned owls that I call in at night they have amazing hearing and are very territorial... it only takes three calls to get there attention and within moments they arrive hooting in full force...
we have one in our neighborhood which led me to this excellent video. We call him Cornelius. However, haven't seen his/her spouse yet. Magnificent animal. Appreciate the time that went into the video and the education. God bless.
I listen for them all summer, if our windows are open, but hear them most often in winter, as you pointed out. It’s a very calming sound, to me, but probably not for the little creatures they prey upon! I didn’t know they’d sometimes take large birds of prey. And cats! Yikes! Happy to say all our cats live strictly indoors ♥️ Thank you, Lesley!
Even though I've never had the privilege of hearing them in the wild yet, I can imagine that their sounds must be calming to listen to. I'd sleep through their hooting for sure. Thanks for watching the video, have a great night!
🔴5 Fascinating Owls of North America video▶ ua-cam.com/video/VdECvrMQkyk/v-deo.html
So cool Lesley. Thanks for sharing all these amazing birds and videos. 😊
I loved the photos in this one. The camouflaged gh owl behind the bluejay was particularly awesome!
Amazing video! Thank you so much for your love of our wonderful birds. My Dad and my Uncle passed the joy of feeding , watching, watering, caring for them to me and my family
I like the informative video, but I miss one small piece of information: scientific name. 😊👍🏻
@@cobrachicken07 Thank you so much. Nova, a female Blue Jay I knew since she was a juvenile is the one in that photo. She was so angry with that owl because it was very close to where she was nesting. She did not let up until it finally left.
One day, while out hunting, I went into a thicket and came eye to eye with a Great Horned Owl. Since, it was low in the trees, the owl was sitting only a foot or two above me and about ten feet away. I stopped on a dime and was shocked by its beauty and its giant eyes staring back into mine. I stood mesmerized for a long time because I didn't want to move and scare it away. Eventually, I noticed a fallen log and decided I'd sit down and try not to spook it. I stayed there for about half and hour. The owl soon got bored of me and was looking around and wasn't bothered by my presence. Finally, I said goodbye and wondered off. In that snow covered wood, with the owl's grey, white and black coat, and its giant green eyes, I felt like I was in a dream world, a surreal fantasy. Because it was so amazing, it didn't seem real.
Amazingly similar to the experience I had, and just posted about. Only yours lasted muxh longer, and I think mine flew down to observe me.
Yet another reason why I hunt. You don't see stuff like that in your living room. Any meat you bring home is a bonus.
magic experience, here we have the Fierce Owl and the Wedge Tailed Eagle
My wife and I did the same thing in the Southwest out in the Mesa. We were walking our dogs and I looked up and a great horned owl couldn't have been more than 5 ft away from my wife's head less than 10 ft away from me. He was so beautiful he looked fake.
Well, you know what they say: "Cocaine's a Helluva drug!"
Thanks for this. I recently had a huge tree blow down that had a nest in it and 2 young Great Horned Owls. I used new gloves to prevent my smell from getting on them and I put them in another tree and hoped mom would still care for them. She actually sort of stayed in the area the rest of the day and so I had high hopes. But for the next 2 days she never returned and one of the young owls died. I contacted our wildlife resource people and of course they said I had to leave them alone even if it meant their death, or I could drive them to a rehab place 4.5 hours away. I know people reading this will say I shouldn't intervene but knowing it was a sure death sentence, I did. I''ve had the little guy for 17 days now (2.5 weeks) and he/she eats like crazy, takes lots of water, and is growing super fast. I have a vet who is helping advice me and has helped me a lot. This little guy was already aboyt 1/2 grown I'd guess. He already had feathers on wings and back but still down on head and chest. It's been an amazing experience. This video was helpful. And yes, I absolutely plan to release him as soon as he can fly. This isn't a situation where I'm trying to make a pet of a majestic wild animal that deserves to be free. I'm just trying to give him that chance at life.
Right on. We need to take the evil power of corporates into our own hands as healing light energy power. Mahalo and much aloha
Be careful. It is illegal to keep raptors or their feathers, bones, etc. without a federal permit
@@damamae950 yuh tell that to some true native folks, their ancestors are doing flips in their graves. Government has no business in anything such as how they think they can govern or try to govern sacred animals. lmfao
@@damamae950 That is SERIOUSLY good advice. Really. Had I known what a big deal it was when I took in my baby owls, I might not have done it. The good news is I saved its life and released it b4 many people knew, and I doubt they will come after me a year after I released it. But its such good advice and information I didn't know at the time. (there are videos of mine on my YT channel)
Bravo!
They're very vocal in the winter months. I love listening to them calling to each other at night.❤
We have a pair here that I only hear in the winter. I’ve never heard them in the summer. They were here just the other night. It’s a treat when they visit. It’s such a soothing sound to hear them outside.
@@Diametricallyopposed00 🦉❤️
I have 3 ponds within 1/4 mile of my home. The wildlife is crazy! The owls are a very vocal bunch. There’s 3 of them at least near me. Hear them all year long! Their calls travel quite a distance late at night when it’s real cold and quiet! Hear them miles away!
The most impressive thing to me about the great horned is how absolutely silent they are in flight. It is stunning to be walking through the woods and suddenly have that great wingspan unfold and the bird drifts off further into the forest without the slightest sound.
Couldn't agree more!
Had one fly right over my head at about twenty feet above. It came from behind me while I was fishing on a large boulder. I'm glad I'm not a coonskin cap kind of guy.😉
Yep.
They have down like feathers that muffle the sound.
Yes while walking my dogs in the hills one early evening from behind us a large one flew about 3feet over my shoulder to a tree 100 yards ahead. Never heard it and surprised the h*** out of us all. I thought i felt a slight disturbance in the air but totally silent and extremely impressive to have a wild animal that size come so close. Like a giant moth or a mini Mothra! I'll never forget.
I retired to rural San Diego County 4 years ago and immediately discovered I had a breeding pair of Great Horned Owls as neighbors. Their nest site has varied over time, and this past year they have decided to nest some distance away so that I only heard their territorial hooting rarely. But just this morning at dawn I heard them, and they came to the tree right above my house so I got to see them too! I love them and am grateful to have moved into such a wonderful neighborhood.
Aww, that is so awesome. I'm happy that you heard them again this morning and that they came to the tree above your house. Very cool.
WOW
We have a wooded area behind our house and we hear them every now and then, especially late evening after sunset. We adore their sounds and would love to see them, but so far they've been elusive.
@@lukeearthcrawler896 Same here
I woul hear these birds at night ☺️☝️
About 4 years ago in the fall, I was on a ladder under my deck, clipping off grape vines. I was startled to see a young Great Horned about 3 feet from my shoulder calmly watching me! It was sitting on the beam. It stayed about a half hour then gracefully flew away. What a treasure to see it so close.
That is awesome!
Have a pair that nests in a cemetery in my city. I found them through two women who told me their nests had been failing due to the bottoms falling out. They asked the cemetery for permission to build platforms for the nests but they refused, so they both snuck in at night and installed them anyway hahaha. The owl pair have had some beautiful children. I also recently got sung to sleep one night by a pair duet while on a 9 day hitch on Mt. Lemmon. They're really one of my favorite birds.
Hahaha, that is so funny. I'm glad that they did. It sounds so nice about hearing them at night and falling asleep to their hooting. I'd love that. Thank you for watching. Have a great night
Good for them! I'm glad they were successful.
Thats great i hate how people are. like installing the nest bottoms were going to effect anything other than the owls im glad they did it anyway i would've too
RIGHT ON! re: asked the cemetery for permission to build platforms for the nests but they refused, so they both snuck in at night and installed them anyway
@@penboyasgod6103 Hopefully the cemetery owners pull down the structure and sue the troublemakers. Let the owls make their own nest.
Their silent flight has always fascinated me.
Years ago sitting in a treestand one landed about 10 feet away in the same tree as me and started hooting...he never knew I was there. It was one of the most majestic experiences ever and I'll never forget it
The owl knew you were there, don't let it fool you. They have exceptional eyesight which ranges from 10 to 100 times better than humans. I work at a raptor center with several different species of owls and hawks/falcons.
I did not know great horned owls made that snapping sound with their beaks. Leslie your channel is the best. Thanks for posing!
Awww thank you so much! Glad you like the content. Have a great day
Y but unharmed
The beak snapping is warning to stay back I was hunting an found a horned owl caught in a steel trap I sat by him about an hour he finally let me release him he was angry but unharmed
I hear one outside my window most nights...if I'm not mistaken, there's more than one..carrying on a hooting conversation..when they start...I'm all ears!!👍👍😉😎...thanks as always Lesley I've never heard some of those calls!! Thank you!!😉😎😁
Aww, no way! That is awesome, Raymond. It must be so neat to listen to them like that.
Some of their calls sure are unique, thank you for watching. Have a wonderful night
@@LesleytheBirdNerd thank you Lesley...you too have a great night 🌙 😊👍😎
YOU ARE ONE LUCKY PERSON Raymond Jones🍀🍀🍀🍀
@@Jeni-ow1kl thank you...I wish I felt lucky!!👍👍😎
yhea!!! theres one in our backyard, and then the answer is further away. its so nice. 🦉
Love to hear the owls... Majestic birds. Great photo of hummingbird with owl.
Yes, I love that video too, it's from ua-cam.com/users/Pacificnorthwestkate she has great videos.
Love it, owls are my favorite raptor, such a unique bird in so many ways.
They were my Dads favorite too...
That was a great shot with the humming bird & owl. Everyone keep care of your cats & small dogs. Thanks agian Leslie, great vid.
I love all owls. So beautiful
I am addicted to your videos. I cannot begin to explain how much I enjoy them all. Your information on each bird species is what I have longed for since I began bird feeding and watching. The nuances of behavior and vocalizations are simply fascinating . Thank you for sharing all your information and hard work. ❤
Wonderful video Lesley - thank you for including some of my video clips!! 🥰👍❤️
You're most welcome, Kate. I love your videos. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. I especially loved the clip of the itty bitty hummingbird coming up to catch a look at the owl. So cute.
Had my grandsons watch your video. They have heard a pair of great horned owls in our woods at night, and they always want to know more about these birds that they hear but can't see. Your video really delivered for them. Thank you!
What a beautiful bird and look how she blends into the tree.
I loved the hummingbird checking out the owl 😍🦉
I know I thought that was so sweet too. Pacific North West Kate must be so happy to have caught that on camera. I'm thankful that she allowed me to use it in my video for others to see. :)
We hear them outside many nights and I love their hoots. It is such a pleasant sound in my opinion.
I'm just happy to have you back on this channel, Lesley. I try to never miss one of your videos.
They have fringes on their flight feathers that makes flying almost completely silent. We had people from the U of M raptor center demonstrate this comparing a red tailed hawk and and owl by holding them up and having them flap their wings. It was amazing and a little eerie too!
Owls are fascinating birds. I enjoyed the video. Love hearing owls in the woods and the occasional sight of one.
Another peaceful video. Thank you and everyone that helped with photos.
I have a pair that live here on my property. It seems the male comes & visits me almost daily. I have food sources out (feeding stations and I think this is what attracts them. About 0200 - 0400 in the mornings, I will have four great horned owls gather in my shop/yard area. They do carry on. However, they are always welcome here & will be protected from human predators. MY cat says she doesn't like them.....
👊😆👍😇
We spotted some horned owls (don't know if they're the same as great horned owls) in a suburban park in southern Manitoba (Winnipeg) this year. It was a father and his two fledglings which were huge and fluffy and oooh so beautiful. The father was being harassed by a murder of crows. My buddy heard the commotion and knew what it was right away and ran through the brambles to shoo away the crows. Then we had 40 minutes of pure bird watching glory, watching these 3 magnificent dinosaurs attempt to fly and faulter while the father closely monitored them and us. He was grateful we sent the crows away. They dive bombed him at times. It was the most magical nature moment I had since the red breasted nut hatch let me pet him. Thanks Lesley for igniting my bird luck! I watch all the time and I think it's helping!
Oh wow, what an awesome experience to have. I bet the father owl was happy too :)
How sweet about you petting a red-breasted nuthatch. Have a great night
Magical moments become more common the more you get out in the wild lands. Here's to many more for you! (Great story. Thanks for sharing it.)
Magnificent video and pics. I'm sure I've heard them, but have never seen one.
Leslie you are an absolute treasure. Your videos always lift me up.
You're very kind. I'm so happy that the videos I create lifts your spirits. That is so awesome! Have a great day
I adore owls, especially the great horned. The owlets are adorable. How anyone could hunt them is beyond me. Thank you for this video!
They really lack any cuteness whatsoever, but I would never hunt them and didn't realize that people do that. Any animal that dines on rodents, etc is ok with me.
People hunt owls? Aren’t owls protected under federal law?
Great job BN, I have some grackles in my backyard, wow do they have personality, very interesting, I've been watching them for over a year now, 👍
Thank you for the great info. Just looked up this video after hearing our first owl hoots on our land. It was two owls hooting as well. So now I know it was 2 mates getting ready to nest!
I saw a great horned owl today in my backyard sleeping in a tree. He was there for about 2 hours left then returned the same day for another nap. It opened its large yellow eyes & looked at me ❤. I was fortunate to see it fly away. They are so Beautiful & Magical.
They normally have favorite trees that they sleep in during the day. Pretty cool. That means his territory includes your yard. Because they camouflage so easily You can find what trees they like by looking for whitewash(owl poop) all on the branches/trunk. And sometimes you can find their pellets(bones/fur) that they regurgitate.
@@QUEENBEE200384 Thank you. I have found their reguritated food (a sparrow) in my backyard. I look for it 🦉 everyday, but I have only seen it Once in my backyard.
In the winter I was lucky to hear two sounds in the apartment I lived in. Trains with their distant horns & owls hooting in the night. It gave me a bit of warmth in those cold months to hear them. I love your videos. I learn so much about these birds I love from afar. 🦉 I really liked the audio of the male & female calls. It's so odd that they aren't very picky but in being that way they have more options. Your videos are a great blend of common & rare knowledge. And I love that you make them relatable. Human in a way that can get people to understand and grow to love these birds. 🤗
They’ve been hooting outside my home recently. Very enchanting birds
Its got perfect camouflage. The eyes give it away. Beautiful birds. Absolutely beautiful
I hope to see one some day! The nestlings and juveniles are so funny cute i love them
Great coverage! I had a pair very close to where I lived in Sugarland, TX... My brother got a suprise when one of these swooped down likely going for my brother's wife's little "toy" dog in their back hard... Then took up purchase multiple times on the back railing of his very open back yard.. Dogs get escorts for now... But, they are awesome to watch and my neice will literally spend hours sitting in the dining area that faces the back watching them... She got her first pair of binos recently and she doesn't leave home right now without them... Thanks for the video!
Magnificent Bird!! I've always loved 🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉!! Hearing one at night is such a hauntingly beautiful and mysterious sound!! 🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉
We had a GHO in our yard one morning, got a picture of her. Huge!!The info you shared was awesome!
Beautiful. They have big loving eyes. Who wouldnt love the owl. Thank you Leslie for sharing.
The pictures were stunning! Thanks for making this video. I have subscribed!
Thank you very much!
Loved this video. Learned quite a bit about the great horned owls. Have seen them a few times in my life and am always impressed and awed!! Absolutely gorgeous birds ❤
I think these owls have the creepiest winks in nature, LOL! Thank you for another entertaining and informative video, and thank you for mentioning the threats these amazing creatures face, especially poisons. It does seem to me that there's a pattern in nature with fierce predators being very involved parents -- wolverines come to mind.
They sure do have a odd wink lol
Glad you enjoyed and thank you very much
I'm not sure what owl species has taken up residence in the tractor barn and smoke house on our property but we've definitely scared the heck out of each other a few times.😳🦉🦉🦉
Maybe it’s a Barn Owl? That’s where they like to nest
@@wtglb Probably is. I went to the doorway and hit the deck! They seem HUGE when they're flying out about head-high!😆🦉
@@IntrepidFraidyCat I would imagine that’s pretty frightening to be suddenly confronted with something that big
@@wtglb Yes! I try to stay out of there so as not to frighten them away. There were babies in the Spring.
@@IntrepidFraidyCat Awwww, I’m glad you’re Leaving them to live in Peace 👍🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Have had a fascination w/ owls for as long as I can recall -- love their stealth-mode flight. I live on the Monterey Bay in Central California and have a family of Great Horned owls along a levy walk near my home. Love to listen to them hooting at each other. Didn't know the difference in tone between the sexes, so thanks for that heads-up. These conversations will have more meaning, in future.
I used to camp in the USFS woodlands south of Ft Hunter Liggett decades ago (1987-2007).
Lots of GHO's there & mtn lions & coyotes & elk & deer as well.
Now I live in the Rocky Mtns which is similar just colder.
We had a grey owl in our woods. I estimate its wing span 5’-6’. A very big bird! When it would break cover and come down through the woods, it was always at 10’-20’ above ground level. Prehistoric, ancient - I always ducked. It was in the genes; not voluntary.
Courtesy of Half Vast
Wow! That is awesome. I've always wanted to see one but they aren't in my area.
@@LesleytheBirdNerd Its owl pods were big too. A bit over 4” long, a bit over 3/4” diameter.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I've hear owls 🦉 bark too☝️
@@micahbirdlover8152 G’day, Micah. Really! I’ve either never heard that, or didn’t recognize it. Fifty years ago, I lived in Northern California , on prairie lands. Burrowing owls were there. They are only about 7”-8” tall, and live in shallow holes in the ground. Interesting little creatures.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
@@jackvoss5841 are your talking to me🤔
The most majestic bird I have been blessed to see on multiple occasions. Each time equally as breathtaking as the last. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on our feathered friends.
I loved your narrative. I've actually touched a Great Horned Owl in an owl coffee shop in Japan that the proprietor claimed was just a way station in preparation for putting them back in the wild. This owl was very friendly, and only about half the size of a huge Eurasian Eagle Owl in the same room.
Thank you for this very well done and informative video!
I recently attended the Rockport/Fulton, TX annual 'Hummerbird Celebration'. Thousand of Hummingbirds show up there in mid-September prior to migrating across the Gulf of Mexico. While there I attended a 'Raptor Demonstration/Talk' presented by a rescue group called 'Sky Kings'. One of their birds was a Eurasion Eagle Owl -- the second largest Owl Species. What an impressive owl -- 6.5 ft. wingspan. I also got to do some close up photos of a beautiful rescued Great Horned Owl, named Charlene at 'Wings Rescue Center'. The whole thing was a great experience.
Love the sounds they make. Two of them live by me. I hoot with them
Great horned owls are so awesome! The babies are funny looking in a cute way, lol.☺ It is pretty sweet how devoted owls are as parents. Thank you for another great video- always learn something new!🙂
Yes, those owlets are funny in a cute way for sure. lol. Thank you so much for the kind comment. Have a great day
@@LesleytheBirdNerd a long long time ago I would hear one of them hoot at night great experience ☝️👍
We had a pair nest in our backyard. Seeing the little babies was awesome
I'm an artist in Tucson and I've carved the owls before in my murals God bless and have a blessed Canadian night
There's a great horned owl that lives somewhere very close to my house. It's a great treat to hear him or her hooting not too far from my bedroom window, usually on moonlit nights, as I go to sleep.
Me too! I love hearing it!
Because of my neurodivergence (ADHD) I've always opened up my eyes really wide for long periods of time when I'm stimulated by my environment, so I feel a lot of kindred spirit with these owls! Watching them always makes me feel better.
I have ADHD, too (as well as Asperger’s Syndrome). I feel like my hyper-focus and heightened hearing senses associated with Asperger’s Syndrome and my inattentiveness or tendency to pick up bird sounds that most regular people would disregard as white noise give me strengths that are almost bird-like in nature, like the super-sensitive hearing of owls. I also think it enables me to have a deeper fondness and connection to birds as well.
Maybe you are part owl, or at least share part of a soul of an owl!
Have quite a few in my area, love to hear them all talk in the evening.
An absolutely gorgeous bird. I painted one once, and it remains one of my favorite paintings. Neat to watch this and learn more about them. 🤓💪
Have a large Great-horned Owl living on the farm here in Northern Montana, there are many big trees and bushes around the farmstead which fostered quite a few cottontails this spring, probably why he is here. Going to have to share with the Big Barn Owl and the Hawlks thoe.
indeed one of the most majestic creatures i've ever seen...great video; thank you so much and God bless 😀
Thank you too
This actually helped me identify the owl that had taken residence in my neighborhood! I live near the city and I've always wondered what type of owl would even find comfort living in such an urban area, and I remember the hoots being exactly like this! Unfortunately haven't heard it lately, but every once in a while, every few weeks or so, I'll hear it at night.
I haven't seen Owls around my neighborhood but Hawks are occasional visitors. These birds of prey are stunningly beautiful and it's always such a privilege to see them!
Thanks for this lovely and informative share on these wonderful Great Horned Owls Lesley. Love the way they where showed and presented in this video my friend. Nice to see all photos and videos provided by the following in your description. Enjoyed as always Irene.✨💖
There are at least two in the "wildlife refuge" behind my house. I hear them late in the night. They are so wonderful to hear, I love owls.
This was a beautiful video, thank you !!
Aww how wonderful it must be to hear them in the middle of the night. I'd love to hear them. I'm very happy that you enjoyed this video. Thank you for watching
They have a different call than the Barred Owl. I enjoy your videos Leslie.
i hear them every night and sometimes see ones silhouette during dusk.
also, that curious hummingbird who flew right in front of the owl was so funny!
I know, right? I thought Hummingbirds were already bold enough by chasing away bees and their own kind while feeding (and also brave enough to approach humans), but I didn’t expect them to be that bold. They make the bold and curious chickadee seem skittish and timid. Hummingbirds are so intriguing.
@@BirdsandGhibliFan I've seen Hummingbirds checking out Hawks also. I guess they're kind of fearless since they can probably out-run or out-maneuver most other birds.
In my 6 plus decades I have never had the joy of seeing one. As consolation, my area is home to several bald eagles and on any given day all I need do is look up and there it is. Lesley, your channel is great. Thank you for all the time and effort you place into your work.
My first great horned owl encounter was after a hurricane when I was a kid. A large female was sitting in our yard the morning after the storm, looking around like “where on earth am I?” She spent two days in our trees before moving on - quite a spectacular bird!
There is a GHO pair that nest 50 yds from my bedroom window . Their assorted communications entertain us every night. Like my neighbor recently proclaimed ' They are a real hoot to listen to !?❤😂✌️👍
17 years ago, when we moved in here, we had a family of those owls in the woods behind the house. The big one, with a wing span of 6-7 feet, came on the fence to eye my 60 pound female dog through the window. It was huge, and when it took off, the entire window went dark. Yes, it was daytime. The owls have since left due to urban sprawl and deforestation.
So sad, but we had a few good years together,. I hope they found a new home. :)
Great horned owls do not have a 6-7ft wingspan.
@@frankmorse7929 Whatever kind of owl it was, that's at least the wing span of the one I had on the fence. From the gate to the wall is 10 feet, so gauging it was no problem. But thanks for correcting me, I'm sure we're all better off for it.
@@warhorse1956 You sure it wasn't an eagle?! 😁
5 ft is large for a GHO. And you can bet they "found a new home".... They just took somebody else's! 😊 They are amazing creatures.
@@carlwilliams6977 Yes, I'm 100% sure it was an owl. The body was also very large in height and girth. I'm no bird expert in the least, maybe it was another type of owl, but it was definitely an owl.
I also have those huge woodpeckers here, could it be my area has some dinosaurs left? LOL
The Eurasian Eagle Owl has a wingspan of 7 feet but the GHO is only about 5 feet. The Eurasian eagle owl is a close relative a looks similar, except they are quite a bit bigger.
Great video. I use to work at night out side and I have seen a few Great Horned Owls and even a Snow Owl once on a cold February night. It was amazing to watch! I could hear then hoot as well at night. And they are quiet when they fly. I would watch them fly also on those nights at work. If I was a bird I'd be a Grear Horned Owl I think!!.
Really informative and enjoyable video! I've never had the opportunity to see a Great Horned Owl. Hopefully soon as they're reported occasionally in my area around Ottawa. That food list is amazing and definitely makes them a successful species of owl!
Aww, I hope that you get to see one very soon!
That diet of theirs definitely must have a helping hand with their success!
Thank you for watching. Have a great night
When I was a kid in elementary school, back in the mid 1970's my next door neighbor was a licensed falconer and he owned a RedTail Hawk as well as a Great Horned Owl. He had a perch that the owl lived on that was maybe fifteen feet from our common yard fence. For about four or five years they lived next door. The owl was incredible. Giant in size and beautiful. I went with my neighbor a few times to take the birds flying at some local farms to catch rodents, snakes, etc... . About one year before my neighbor moved away he had been given a Golden Eagle by the Fish and Game that had been wounded and so I had a hawk, owl and eagle living next door, just over a low fence that I could admire daily.
Also, we lived about a mile from the beach about a mile from Los Angeles International Airport in a residential neighborhood in the heart of LA. Not your typical city housepets. They eventually moved to Idaho.
I was very lucky. I also raised a Raven from a chick at that time, into its adulthood for a couple of years until it flew away and lived with a murder of crows in the neighborhood for another couple of years and then it disappeared.
Ravens arent exactly crows, right? Is that unusual they would accept him into their group?
@@dbpgh ---No, Ravens are Not crows. They are a different species. They both are of the Corvus family. But Ravens are the size of a hawk with 3-4 ft wingspan and crows are maybe 18 inches wingspan. Ravens have a bigger thicker beak, and different shaped tail than crows. They also have many more vocalization sounds. A Raven can be taught to speak if you splice their tongue to a fork like, from what I was told at one time.
I thought that hanging out with crows that it was very strange at the time. One thing I left out was another neighbor, across the street had one of the sibling Raven chicks of the one we had and after I helped teach mine to fly, it's sibling obviously was doing the same with my neighbor and they both lived cage free in our respective back yards. They discovered each other (besides us physically introducing them as chicks) about six months or so after learning to fly. And they both stayed around the houses for about a year or more then they started to fly around the nearby neighborhood exploring but would come home for food and whatever. Then they both flew away and didn't come back for a few weeks but we would see them flying around the neighborhood. They were living in some big trees that lined the fence of the little league field about four blocks from my house. And that's when we started seeing them flying with a murder of crows. They definitely stood out, being about twice the size of the crows. They stayed around for about six months to a year before they disappeared completely. It was kinda sad but really cool at the same time. I was only about ten or eleven yrs old at that time.
I had a wonderful experience with a pair of Great Horned Owls in November 1992 while bowhunting deer(all birds are protected) on the Hog Island Wildlife Management Area in Surry County Virginia. I was sitting 20feet up in a tree in a pine tree thicket watching a blood red sunset due to Mt Pinatubo eruption. A pair of GH Owls sitting in trees about 20-30 feet apart were hooting at each other. Then suddenly I see this large shadow coming right at me. One of the owls past by at no more than 6-8 feet. The cool thing was as this very large bird passed by, he/she was UTTERLY silent...not even a whisper of sound from its wing beats, a testament to the sound dampening ability off their wings.
This refuge on the James River is managed primarily for waterfowl, but is perfect habitat for owls and hawks with hundreds of acres of milo planted every year that attract rabbits, mice voles and other small mammals. Pine and hardwood areas provide good nesting habitat for many species of birds. You've not heard anything till you hear a Blue heron rookery during nesting season!! LOL
This refuge is well worth visiting if you're a birder.
Sorry for the long post Leslie. I couldn't help myself. :)
No need to say sorry at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your lovely story about that experience you had. You painted the scene so beautifully. Thank you very much for sharing that with me. And yes, I know completely what you mean about the lack of sound when they take flight. I will never forget that back in 2019 when I had my first encounter. It was so quiet, not a breeze. I was only 15 feet (give or take) from the owl recording. When it took flight there wasn't a bit of sound. I knew they were like that but it's quite something when you witness it for yourself. I can only imagine what your experience must have been like at that close range.
That refuge sounds like a birders paradise for sure.
Have a great night, Pete
Nice. I had something similar happen...sitting in a treestand. I was wearing camo head to toe...I never heard it coming, I just noticed two big eyeballs sailing straight at me. I lifted my arm to protect my face, at the last second it pulled straight up in front of me and landed on a branch just above my head...it looked at me kinda puzzled. The only thing that wasn't camouflaged was my shooting hand....THAT'S what he was homing in on. He probably thought it was some type of small animal.
@JOHN-vr4og Owls are really cool birds aren't they?😎
Man, what a hoot! :/ Thanks for uploading Lesley.
I heard great horn owl hooting almost every evening lately. Hopefully I’ll spot one someday. Your video came right in time. Thank you!
A couple of these live in the palm trees on the side of my house. So beautiful and lovely to hear their duets. I'm thankful for the pest control they provide as well!
I worked with a wildlife rehabber and got to see a couple of these close up- vehicle strikes were the cause 100% of the time. I'd love to know more about how these birds make it through the long winters here in the North Eastern US.
I watched your wonderful video after hearing two Great Horned Owls duetting in our large pine tree tonight. I recorded them and posted on eBird. A few years ago they brought three young to the same pine in our front yard and, of course, I was snapping photos!
i walk down a side walk under a large branch and i was totally freaked out when a few feet above me was "HOOOOOOO HOOOOO HOOOO" She scared me good😆😆😆
I have a pair near my upstairs window…most nights I will hear them around 1 am. They have a comforting effect upon me.
There were some in Toledo Ohio I just love there voice
I was walking my Boston Terrier in the woods and came across a great horned owl in a tree.... the stare that bird gave my dog...like "mmmmm dinner" was terrifying.
Around where I live the great horned owls like to use magpie nests. The magpies will build another nest on top giving the owls a roof.
Wonderful video, Leslie! I learn so much from you! Owls are such fascinating birds! I loved your footage and the sounds you provide. We have a small patch of woods in rural MD inhabited by several barred owls, so I suppose we won’t have any Great Horned any time soon. It saddens me to learn that the GHO is reduced by 1/3 in our lifetimes. You can correct me, but I believe this is pretty much across all bird species. We just aren’t careful enough with our planet.
I have watched these owls hunt bats at my house in Pennsylvania. They do nest not far from my house in Lehighton Pennsylvania. Impressive birds indeed
I've had the pleasure of both hearing a great horned owl, and seeing one. They are so big! This was an enjoyable video to watch and very informative. Thank you!
Very nice and informative video! I never knew that Great Horned Owls were so common. They are really spectacular looking, and their owlets are adorable. I also never knew they preyed on Ospreys. You wouldn't think they'd have the courage to attack such a large bird! I always learn so much from your videos. Thank you!
It's amazing how fierce those owls are. I'm glad you enjoyed this video and learned a few new things. Thanks for the nice comment. Have a good day :)
I think they're Beautiful, thank you for the video
I’m a bird photographer that loves to capture all types of birds with my camera, but owls are my absolute favorite because of the challenge involved in finding them. The thrill of the hunt, I guess. I’ve successfully photographed all four species of owl that we have in the Southeast U.S.: Great Horned, Barn, Eastern Screech and Barred. It took lots of hiking, but I captured my first GHO in the wild on, of all dates, Halloween 2020. Then, in March of this year, there was a lot of local photographer buzz about a pair of Great Horned owlets at a local state park. For some reason, the parents nested on a low limb of a live oak tree right off the side of a main walking/bike path. Very odd for such an elusive owl, but the parents seemed to be very relaxed as we humans stared at their owlets. Neither parent ever showed aggression of any sort. The nest was nothing more than the ferns and moss that grew on the limb…another thing that seemed odd. Both owlets successfully fledged despite the attention they received from lots of humans staring at them. They were the cutest things, and I was blessed to have gotten lots of wonderful photographs of what will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I’d be glad to share a few photos if you’d like.
so cool! do you have your photos posted anywhere to see?
I watched a nestling, baby GHO last Feb. For about 3 weeks. What a joy. A gift from mother nature.
For close to six years, I had photographed the spring arrival of great blue herons at a small rookery in a local forest preserve (about 35 miles west of Chicago), documenting the growth of the rookery each spring (usually, a dozen nests survived the winter, but the rookery often grew to twice that number by late spring).
Two years ago, a pair of great horned owls took over one of the nests in the winter months. Unaware, I'd visit the rookery with my camera, watching a pair of herons arrive one day, only to be gone in the following days. This went on for several weeks before I finally spotted Momma owl and a couple of owlets sticking their heads up above the edge of the nest.
I was heartbroken to see the herons leave -- so many good photo opps disappeared. On the other hand, I was grateful they left for a natural reason, and not one caused by people.
The owls abandoned the nest the following year -- the nest failed to survive fall and early winter, so they had nothing to return to.
I really love that there isn't one single dislike on this video
You're so kind. Thank you
No one is safe! LOL! I have never seen a great horned owl as yet, but some day I hope to see one in real life. Their yellow eyes are extraordinary; I can only imagine the awe-inspiring, and somewhat terrifying, feeling of looking into those piercing eyes. Thank you so much for sharing all this info, Lesley. Yet again, I learned so much (for ex. I had no idea they made such a variety of vocalizations or that the young stayed so long with the parents). Lovely video. Thanks yet again.
I have 5 great horned owls that I call in at night they have amazing hearing and are very territorial... it only takes three calls to get there attention and within moments they arrive hooting in full force...
They're such beautiful birds! 🦉🎃🍂🍁
we have one in our neighborhood which led me to this excellent video. We call him Cornelius. However, haven't seen his/her spouse yet. Magnificent animal. Appreciate the time that went into the video and the education. God bless.
I listen for them all summer, if our windows are open, but hear them most often in winter, as you pointed out. It’s a very calming sound, to me, but probably not for the little creatures they prey upon!
I didn’t know they’d sometimes take large birds of prey. And cats! Yikes! Happy to say all our cats live strictly indoors ♥️
Thank you, Lesley!
Even though I've never had the privilege of hearing them in the wild yet, I can imagine that their sounds must be calming to listen to. I'd sleep through their hooting for sure. Thanks for watching the video, have a great night!
Great video, it was a Hoot!