Great-horned owls are the first of our winter-resident birds to nest, and hooting becomes most intense just before the female lays eggs. Devoted mates, the owls form pair-bonds that endure for years. Rather than migrating, the pair establishes and maintains a permanent territory. (Localized winter food shortages may break this pattern, prompting temporary southerly movements, or irruptions, toward better food sources.) Territorial boundaries are reaffirmed...
each autumn—just in case any young upstarts have showed up in search of a home. The big birds become unusually visible at this time, often perching on exposed branches or hunting in the afternoon. Great-horned owls also become more vocal in autumn. One of my most vivid memories from my son’s infancy is of sitting in his room during feedings in the middle of the night. As we rocked together in the chair by the window, the sleepy silence was often broken by the calls of a great-horned owl. Before putting the baby back in his crib I frequently stood at the window, swaying gently as I searched for the owl’s dark silhouette. The bird’s preferred hooting spot was the highest bare branch in the neighbor’s yard, from which his voice carried far across the trees and lake. Though years have passed, the sound of owl-song still evokes those nights with my newborn son.
It’s hard to say exactly where the owls’ nest is located. Great-horned owls don’t construct nests as some raptors do, but take over the nests previously occupied by crows, other raptors, or even squirrels. These might be stick nests, somewhat exposed in a winter-bare deciduous tree, or hollows in an aged tree. Around our property are many choices. I’ll be keeping a close eye on several old maple and oak trees at the bottom of the meadow. Each autumn we’ve seen great-horned owls perched on their branches or on the ground nearby. And one morning this past January, after a storm, my son and I were thrilled to notice a large set of wingprints in the meadow’s fresh snow—evidence of the bird’s attempt to capture prey on the ground.
It’s hard to say exactly where the owls’ nest is located. Great-horned owls don’t construct nests as some raptors do, but take over the nests previously occupied by crows, other raptors, or even squirrels. These might be stick nests, somewhat exposed in a winter-bare deciduous tree, or hollows in an aged tree. Around our property are many choices. I’ll be keeping a close eye on several old maple and oak trees at the bottom of the meadow. Each autumn we’ve seen great-horned owls perched on their branches or on the ground nearby. And one morning this past January, after a storm, my son and I were thrilled to notice a large set of wingprints in the meadow’s fresh snow—evidence of the bird’s attempt to capture prey on the ground.
Owl wingprints in the snow, January 2010
Whatever the location of the nest, several tiny owlets will hatch in mid-March. By early May, as frogs begin to call along the lakeshore and the trees in our orchard reach full bloom, the fledgling owls will be ready to fly beside their parents and begin their education in the ways of the owl.
If the female has already begun to lay her eggs, this morning’s round of owl-song may be the only concert we get. But soon enough the mornings will ring with the din of eager songbirds. That eventuality reinforces one of the first realizations I made when becoming a naturalist: Listen for birdsong every day, just because you can.
If the female has already begun to lay her eggs, this morning’s round of owl-song may be the only concert we get. But soon enough the mornings will ring with the din of eager songbirds. That eventuality reinforces one of the first realizations I made when becoming a naturalist: Listen for birdsong every day, just because you can.
A Gallery of Winter Birds
White-breasted nuthatch
American tree sparrow
Blue jay
Black-capped chickadee
Female northern cardinal
Dark-eyed junco
Male downy woodpecker
Male hairy woodpecker
Male red-bellied woodpecker
American goldfinches
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