What a Hoot: Great Horned Owl Babies: Part II

A young great horned owl peers through the cottonwood foliage.

I promised more owl babies and here they are! This second family was located by Twin Silo Park. Sadly, sometime in mid June their nesting tree was cut down due to safety issues (rotten inside). They had used this tree for many years. Thankfully, they moved on to surrounding trees. Baby owls typically stick around the nest for up to 42 days. I will be sad next year when they have to find a new nesting tree, and me, new owls to photograph. As you can see by the fluffy feathers and large leaves, these owls were much younger and born later than the other ones I had photographed. This family also had three owlets in their brood. Great horned owls can have anywhere from 1-4 owlets. How many owls do you spot in the photo below?

There are 2 juveniles and 1 adult great horned owls in this picture.

You can just make out the plumicorns (horns) of the adult in the background.

As the tree fills in with leaves, sometimes you get a small view of the owl. This year the batch of babies were very high in the tree making it more difficult to get a decent shot of them.

The wide eyes of a young owl take in everything.

Great horned owls have eyes that open widely in the dark that make for excellent night vision. Amazingly, their eyes don’t move in their sockets but their heads can swivel 180 degrees according to All About Birds. Their facial disk feathers also help them to hear better.

An adult owl supervises its young during the day.

A detailed portrait of an adult great horned owl.

When the owls are fairly young it often seems as if they lie down on the tree branches. I can’t ever tell if this is just the angle I’m viewing them from or if they are really doing it. Notice the load of fluff on the left side of the photo below. It does not appear to be sitting upright.

One baby owl rests as another stares me down.

A young owlet rests in the late evening light.

Look at those perfectly feathered 'horns' (plumicorns).

I’m guessing the owl above may be the male owl as the female great horned owls are typically larger than the males.

My Last Location for Great Horned Owl Babies

Near the end of May, I found my last baby owl. She was perched nicely in the tree during golden hour. This location was more open than the location by Twin Silo, allowing for much better photos. Next year, I’ll be sure to come back to check on this spot. Something about this photo makes me think of a stuffed owl in a natural history museum.

A great horned owl juvenile sits in a tree.

A closer view of the juvenile great horned owl.

A nearby adult did eventually fly away to hang closer to the rest of the family.

A great horned owl flies low over a field.

I had a great time photographing the great horned owls and their babies this spring. They provided many wonderful opportunities to watch and photograph them. There is nothing better than seeing those inquisitive, bright yellow eyes looking back at you!