Great Horned Owls are one of the most common and widely distributed birds of prey in Florida. These large, powerful owls are permanent, year-round residents, establishing territories they maintain throughout their lives. They are highly recognizable and serve as a top nocturnal predator across Florida’s diverse landscape.
Confirmation of Presence and Florida Habitat
Great Horned Owls are found across nearly all of Florida, from the Panhandle down to the southern mainland, though they are generally absent from the extreme lower Florida Keys. This wide distribution allows them to thrive in varied environmental conditions. They flourish in diverse Florida habitats that range from dense pine flatwoods and cypress swamps to mixed hardwood forests.
This species readily adapts to human-modified environments, often appearing in suburban parks, wooded residential areas, and urban green spaces. As long as a location provides suitable perching, nesting sites, and a consistent food supply, the owls will establish a territory. Their habitat selection includes rangelands, pastures, and areas near salt and brackish streams.
Identifying Great Horned Owls
The Great Horned Owl is identified by its impressive size, prominent feathery tufts, and distinct coloring. These tufts, known as plumicorns, are clusters of feathers that serve as a key visual feature against the mottled gray and brown body plumage. The owls also possess large, piercing yellow eyes set against a reddish-brown facial disk, and a noticeable patch of white feathers on their throat.
Observing the owl’s vocalizations is often the most common way to confirm its presence, as they are most active near dusk and dawn. Their classic call is a deep, low hooting sequence, typically a five-note pattern transcribed as hoo-hoo-hoo hoo-hoo. The female’s hoots are subtly higher in pitch than the male’s, allowing pairs to communicate across their territory.
Behavior and Breeding Season
As apex predators, Great Horned Owls consume a varied diet that reflects their aggressive hunting style. Their prey includes rodents, rabbits, snakes, frogs, and even other birds and small raptors, which they catch with their powerful talons. This broad menu helps them maintain their presence in nearly any Florida environment.
A characteristic of their life cycle is their nesting behavior, as they rarely construct their own nests from scratch. Instead, they typically occupy the abandoned nests of other large birds, such as Bald Eagles, Ospreys, or Red-shouldered Hawks, or they may utilize natural tree cavities. They may add minimal lining, such as fur or feathers, to prepare the site for eggs.
In Florida, Great Horned Owls are among the earliest birds to begin their reproductive cycle, taking advantage of the mild winter weather. Courtship and incubation can begin as early as late November or December, a period significantly earlier than most other bird species in the region. This early start ensures that the young owlets hatch and fledge before the peak of the Florida summer heat.