# Great Horned Owl: Key Facts

> The great horned owl is a large, powerful owl found throughout the Americas, named for the tufts of feathers on its head that look like horns or ears.

- **Species:** Great Horned Owl (*Bubo virginianus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore (mammals, birds, reptiles)
- **Habitat:** Forests, deserts, wetlands, and cities
- **Lifespan:** 10–15 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 64 km/h (40 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/great-horned-owl/owl-sounds-at-night/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/great-horned-owl/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The great horned owl is a large, powerful owl found throughout the Americas, named for the tufts of feathers on its head that look like horns or ears. A fierce nocturnal predator with crushing talons, it hunts a wide range of prey, even skunks and other raptors. Known for its deep hooting call, it usually lives 10 to 15 years in the wild.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need the full biology — use the [Great Horned Owl profile](https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/great-horned-owl/) instead.

## A formidable night hunter

The great horned owl is one of the most powerful birds of prey in the Americas, with a grip strong enough to crush the spine of its prey. It hunts at night using exceptional hearing and large, light-gathering eyes, gliding silently on soft-edged feathers that muffle the sound of its wings so prey never hears it coming.

## Help protect the Great Horned Owl

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/great-horned-owl/owl-sounds-at-night/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.