Animal
Great horned owl
Bubo virginianus
The largest common owl in North America — 3–4 lbs with a 4–5 ft wingspan. Top nocturnal predator across most of its range. Year-round resident on Staten Island, breeding in the Greenbelt and other large forested parks. Distinctive deep 'who-who-who' hooting most-audible at dusk and dawn, especially in late winter when pairs are courting. Will take prey larger than itself — the only owl that regularly hunts skunks.
Scientific
Bubo virginianus is a 3–4 lb owl with prominent feathered “ear” tufts (not actual ears — display feathers). Wingspan 4–5 ft. Among the most-generalist predators in North America: takes mammals from mice to skunks (one of the few predators willing to attack skunks), birds up to red-tailed-hawk size, snakes, fish, and occasionally other owls.
Pair-bonded long-term; breeding begins in late winter (January–February in the Northeast — earlier than nearly any other Northern bird). Often takes over abandoned hawk and crow nests. Two-three young fledge in April–May.
Long-cultural-history species — appears in indigenous traditions across North America, often associated with night, prophecy, and warning.
On Staten Island
Year-round resident; breeds in the Greenbelt’s larger forest tracts, La Tourette, High Rock, [[mount-loretto-unique-area|Mount Loretto]]. Hooting territorial calls peak in late January and February — distinctive deep “who-who-who” five-note pattern. Among the borough’s most-haunting and recognizable nocturnal sounds.
See also
Auto-generated from this entry’s typed relations: frontmatter, grouped by relation type so the editorial signal isn’t flattened.
- Counterpart to: [[eastern-screech-owl]]
- Member of: [[animal]]
- Contained by: [[staten-island]]
Sources
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird and species accounts
- NYC Audubon SI raptor-monitoring records
- [[beacon-ny|New York]] State Breeding Bird Atlas
Rooted in life.
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