Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus (Gmelin, 1788)    Synonyms: GHOW.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Chordata   >   Class Aves   >   Order Strigiformes   >   Family Strigidae   >   Genus Bubo   

Status:

Common resident throughout Maryland.

Where to find:

Best detected by listening just before dawn and at dusk in open areas near pine woods, including farmlands and saltmarshes.

There are 235 records in the project database.

View full eBird Range Map

View taxon at iNaturalist

Search Google Images

GA AL WA FR CL MO HO BA BC HA CE PG AA CV CH SM KE QA CN TA DO WI SO WO 
A Great Horned Owl in Church Hill, Maryland (6/27/2010). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/26/2011). Photo by David Illig. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/15/2018). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/26/2011). Photo by David Illig. (MBP list)

Great Horned Owl in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (5/3/2020). (c) Jonathan Irons, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jonathan Irons. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (12/31/2013). Photo by Dan Haas. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (12/31/2013). Photo by Dan Haas. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl in Howard Co., Maryland (2/2/2019). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl in Frederick Co., Maryland (4/16/2015). Photo by Andrew Clemens. (MBP list)

Great Horned Owl in Montgomery Co., Maryland (12/17/2020). (c) pablo_vidal-ribas, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by pablo_vidal-ribas via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl with prey in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/15/2018). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

A young Great Horned Owl in Kent Co., Delaware (4/7/2007). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl in Howard Co., Maryland (4/9/2018). Photo by Anthony VanSchoor. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl in Howard Co., Maryland (4/9/2018). Photo by Anthony VanSchoor. (MBP list)

A juvenile Great Horned Owl in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/9/2015). Photo by Scott Young. (MBP list)

A fledgling Great Horned Owl on Hart Island, Baltimore Co., Maryland (5/6/1978). Photo by Bob Ringler. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl fledgling in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (5/5/2016). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

Great Horned Owl on nest in Carroll Co., Maryland (3/5/2021). (c) tomfeild, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Tom Feild. (MBP list)

An adult Great Horned Owl and young on a nest in Howard Co., Maryland (4/7/2015). Photo by Howard Patterson. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl nestling in Howard Co., Maryland (4/21/2015). Photo by Nancy Magnusson. (MBP list)

Great Horned Owl in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/3/2020). (c) Tim Frye, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Tim Frye via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Great Horned Owl nestlings in Pennsylvania (4/19/2015). Photo by Matthew Addicks. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl nestling in Howard Co., Maryland (4/19/2016). Jeff Culler says, "This little fellow fell out of its nest over a week ago and seems to be doing just fine. I believe, at night, it rests on top of this stump while the parents take care of the feeding chores. Large amounts of whitewash on top of the stump suggest this. Today and probably other days, during daylight hours, the hollowed inside of the stump serves as a good hiding place. Starting to show the ear tufts! This is the Eastern subspecies of Great Horned Owl. Typically young leave the nest after thirty-five days. If a fledgling falls out of a nest and can walk then it is best to leave it alone. The parents will still be close by to protect and feed the youngster." The last time Jeff saw this youngster, it looked ready to fly. Photo by Jeff Culler. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl nest with young in Montgomery Co., Maryland (5/6/2018). Photo by Audrey Seymour. (MBP list)

A Great Horned Owl in Cambridge, Massachusetts (12/18/2012). Photo by Jeremiah Trimble. (MBP list)

Great Horned Owl in Dorchester Co., Maryland (3/27/2021). (c) Dave, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Dave via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A sleeping Great Horned Owl in Cambridge, Massachusetts (5/1/2011). Photo by Jeremiah Trimble. (MBP list)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.

View Bibliography