What is the most common large owl in southwest Alaska? Welcome to Field Notes. I’m Rob MacDonald, a Wildlife Biologist with the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

Although there are 7 species of owls found in southwest Alaska, there is only one common large owl - the Great Horned Owl. Great Horned Owls are heard or seen frequently in the Dillingham area. Recently, there have been many observations of this large owl late in the evening.

Great Horned Owls get their name from distinctive horn-shaped tufts of feathers on top of their heads. They have a series of 5 deep resonant hoots or they can bark, scream, or growl. Great Horned Owls have powerful legs with sharp, curved talons for grasping and killing prey such as rabbits, squirrels, rodents, birds, and fish.

Their wings are long and fringed with sound-lessening filaments at the tips of their flight feathers. These special feathers allow the Great Horned Owl to approach their prey extremely quietly and assists in their night-time hunting.

The Great Horned Owl has large yellow eyes that are fixed in their sockets. So his entire head must move to shift his gaze. Great Horned Owls also have special adaptations enabling them to hear and locate prey without actually seeing it. This includes a large facial disk of stiff feathers and ear flaps for concentrating and funneling sounds into their ears.

The cue as to which side the sound comes from is the difference in time it takes for the sound to reach each ear. When the sound is straight ahead, there is no difference in time that each ear hears the sound. Owls can also tell if the sound is above or below them. Due to the shape of their ears, if a sound comes from above the owl, the ears hear the noise louder than if the sound came from below the owl. If the sound is the same in both ears, that means the sound is at eye level.

The Great Horned Owl swallows all except its largest prey whole and headfirst. His strong digestive juices break down the prey as all nutrients are extracted. Indigestible parts like bones, feathers, or fur are regurgitated as pellets about an inch long.

The Great Horned Owl uses a variety of nest sites and may take over a stick nest from another bird or use a cavity in a tree or in the rocks. The young owls leave the nest after about 6 weeks but do not fly well until they are 9 or 10 weeks old. This is a stage of the chick’s life called “limbing” as they fly or walk from one tree limb to another and accept food from their parents.

The Great Horned Owl is an impressive, silent hunter and stirs up a lot of excitement when its seen or heard, adding to our enjoyment of the outdoors. For Field Notes, I’m Rob MacDonald.