The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) is a large, bulky, barrel-shaped owl. This owl has a broad face with well-defined facial discs and large golden yellow eyes. Its large “horns” are actually tufts of feathers. Brownish in colour and mottled with white and darker brown, it has a broad white band across its throat and the underside is barred with black and white.
This owl ranges from North America, Central America and South America. It is the largest owl in South America, and interestingly, does not exist in Guatemala, El Salvador, from Nicaragua to Panama, Amazonia or the West Indies. The Great Horned Owl however, does exist in Guyana but is considered “uncommon”. It can be heard in the Botanical Gardens and sometimes in bush islands of the North Rupununi and is easily recognized by its upright stocky shape and ear tufts, and its call, a deep, resonating “whoo hoo, whoo, whoo hoo”.
The Great Horned Owl is nocturnal, it watches for prey from a high perch, then swoops to the ground to capture it. Its talons are extremely powerful, and can exert crushing power up to