A male great horned owl perches on a tree in Ladner. Photo: Patrick Doheny/Flickr.It’s approaching Halloween, a time to consider creatures of the night, such as British Columbia’s magnificent great horned owl, one of Canada’s most common birds of prey. This quirky bird:
- Sticks close to home. They usually stay within a close radius of where they were born.
- Is not afraid to mix it up. Often injured when attacking prey, they may sport porcupine quills, or the smell of skunk.
- Has an unusual eye colour: yellow.
- Stars in many a spooky soundtrack with its haunting, scene-setting whoo-hoo-ho-o-o.
- Hunts silently, then swallows small prey whole, but pulls large prey apart. Later regurgitates pesky extras like fur, bones, and teeth as pellets.
- Steals nests, taking over ones made by other species. These owls are lazy homemakers, but fearsome predators to a vole, rabbit, or mouse.
Source: Hinterland Who’s Who.
