Great Horned Owls have begun

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
their hoot-n-nanny. Heard the first last night, more to come as breeding season gets closer.


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46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
Its their main call; used to mark territory, find its mate as they are monogamous, communicate with chicks, etc. They also do some squawking, mostly the females ;) The other calls are on the net; Cornell's web site is a good one. Around here they begin building nests later in the year and begin egg laying in late Dec- early Jan.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id

This is a young one still in chick feathers, but the talons are nicely developed. Taken in June.

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enormiss

Explorer
Aug 18, 2015
607
409
Atco NJ
Cool site, Thanks
You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas
I didnt see it but pretty sure my dog did and chased one off fence in the dark. Looked up pictures of their nests, pretty big and obvious so I guess its not nesting in my tree. I've also heard either a barn or snowy in the past...
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
5,054
3,327
Pestletown, N.J.
Bowhunted tonight and had a Great Horned Owl glide through the trees in front of me and then perch 20' from me on a dead pine branch. I watched him for a minute or so and tried to slowly reach for my phone to get a photo.
Although peripheral vision is supposedly not their strong suit, he zeroed in on my movement in a fraction of a second and took flight.

It was a beautiful night in the woods with assorted groups of deer shunning me and escorting themselves out of my view.
 

johnnyb

Explorer
Feb 22, 2013
474
200
96
Heard 'em singing out back in the NJ Natura Lands Retreat Preserve this evening, first time this season.
Neat!
 

johnnyb

Explorer
Feb 22, 2013
474
200
96
Bob, Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology "All About Birds" has an on-line website with Great Horned Owl calls and their meanings.
I don't speak Owl but know a bit of German and can copy radio American code ....
 
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