Cool Critters: Whooo is out there? Be on the lookout for great horned owls

Large as a table lamp and topped with two pointy tufts resembling Batman ears, the great horned owl is easy to identify. But it’s so not easy to see.

Secretive, guarded and well-camouflaged among trees, oftentimes the only thing that alerts us to the owl’s nearby presence is its trademark call that cuts through evening darkness.

Now that it’s November, you’re likely to start hearing that call. Low, smooth and mysterious: hoo, hoo-hoo.

The great horned owl, scientifically known as Bubo virginianus, is the most common owl species in Washington state and North America, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Year-round residents of the Inland Northwest, they live in a variety of habitats, ranging from woodlands, orchards and semiarid grasslands to urban backyards and parks.

This time of year, they’re establishing their territory in preparation for their breeding season that occurs in winter, WDFW district wildlife biologist Mark Vekasy said. High up in trees is the best place to spot them.

“The owls use trees for nesting and for perching while they scout for prey,” Vekasy said.

Also, trees help conceal them from predators and bands of crows that tend to harass them during the day, a behavior known as mobbing, he added.

With their ear-like tufts and front-facing bright yellow eyes, great horned owls make adorable stuffed animals and are lovingly featured in children’s books. (“Greta the Great-horned Owl,” “Do you Hoot?” and “Owl Moon,” to name a few.)

The real ones, however, are natural born killers.

Perched among branches in the blackness of night, the great horned owl sits and waits, its lower body motionless as its head swivels almost completely around to scan the surroundings. Not only do these owls have keen eyesight, but they can hear rustling sounds of prey moving through grass and under snow, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

“Their sense of hearing is so acute that they can hear a mouse stepping on a twig from a distance of 75 feet,” the agency says on its website.

Once they detect the prey’s location, “they swoop down almost silently,” Vekasy said. “Due to the structure of their wings and feathers, they’re able to glide with minimal whooshing or flapping sounds.”

Then, using its talons, the powerful predator is able to kill an animal that’s up to two to three times its weight, he said.

Which doesn’t mean the owl will eat the family beagle.

Despite their large size, great horned owls typically weigh about 3 pounds, about as much as a pineapple. What they eat is as diverse as their habitat, ranging from rodents and rabbits to opossums, snakes and even skunks.

For all their appealing familiarity, scientists aren’t sure why great horned owls have those cute tufts, or “horns” for which they are named. One theory is that these feathered ruffs, called plumicorns, help obscure the owl’s large, blocky silhouette among trees where they perch.

And it’s from those trees that the owls are establishing territory by calling into the November night. They’ll hoot more frequently in December and January, which, according to the National Audubon Society, is their courtship season.

“When a pair of great horned owls calls in a duet, the female usually hoots first, and the male replies at a lower pitch,” the agency states on its website. “Even though females average a third larger than males, the smaller male has a bigger voice box, or syrinx.”

Most bird species wait until spring to build nests. But the great horned owl bucks that trend by nesting in winter. Even when temperatures drop to below zero, females can successfully incubate their eggs, according to the Owl Research Institute near Charlo, Montana.

Why start a family outdoors during the coldest, snowiest time of year? Most likely because the owlets must remain with their parents six to seven months to learn hunting skills to live on their own. Compared to most bird species, that’s a long, long time for the adults to care for their young.

Which goes to show: Not only are great horned owls superb hunters, they’re superb parents.