Tips on Great Horned Owl watching (2 Viewers)

[JoeGBirder]

Hey! For the past month or so, I have been hearing Great Horned Owls calling in my backyard at night. Most of the times just when I'm in bed, but one time in the morning when I was sitting outside, and one night I heard two calling back and forth. I looked around with my head peeking out the door for a half hour until my hands got numb and the owls started sounding further away. Now, I would have looked harder but... I know well enough that Great Horned Owls are one of the most aggressive birds of prey. The only owl species that has killed a human. But, I REALLY wanna see one of these things. So, are there any tips on getting to see one without having to keep a scratch on your head as a reminder of seeing it? Thanks!

 

[qwerty5]

They won't hurt you unless you try to hurt them. I'm sure you've been watched by many owls that you never knew were there.

Just don't do anything dumb like try to climb a tree and look in their nest.

 

[jurek]

I think they are perfectly safe now. Owls are aggressive only when young leave the nest in late spring, and killing a human must have been million to one unlucky incident - like somebody being killed by a domestic cat.

Anyway, come back in early evening to the place you heard the owls previous day. Great horned owls have a habit of perching visibly somewhere high, on a treetop or a telephone pole, and watching their neighborhood before dusk. This way I saw more great horned owls during my relatively short stays in America than related Eagle Owls during many years living in Europe.