Great Horned Owl vs Bearded Screech-owl
Bubo virginianus compared with Megascops barbarus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Horned Owl | Bearded Screech-owl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Bubo virginianus | Megascops barbarus |
| Order | Strigiformes | Strigiformes |
| Family | Strigidae | Strigidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 55.0 cm (21.7 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 127.0 cm (50.0 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 1400.0 g (49.38 oz) | 67.25 g (2.37 oz) |
| Diet | Extremely diverse — mammals (rabbits, skunks, rodents), birds (including other raptors), reptiles, amphibians, and fish. … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1-4 | 4-5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Great Horned Owl only
Bearded Screech-owl only
None
Great Horned Owl
Diverse habitats including forests, deserts, swamps, urban parks, and suburban areas. Nests in tree hollows, cliff ledges, and abandoned nests of other large birds.
Song & Call Comparison
Great Horned Owl
Deep, resonant 'who-who-who-who-ooo': the classic 'hoo-h'HOO-hoo-hoo' territorial duet of a mated pair. Booms at dusk. Female pitch slightly higher than male.
Bearded Screech-owl
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Horned Owl
North and South America from subarctic Canada to Tierra del Fuego. One of the most widespread owls in the Americas.
Bearded Screech-owl
Conservation Status
Great Horned Owl
Bearded Screech-owl
How to Tell Them Apart
Great Horned Owl
Mottled grey-brown plumage with heavy dark barring. Prominent ear tufts, yellow eyes, and a white throat patch give a fierce expression.
Dark grey-black hooked bill almost hidden by facial disc feathers
Bearded Screech-owl
About These Birds
Great Horned Owl
The great horned owl is the most powerful and widespread owl in the Americas, earning the nickname tiger of the sky. It is one of the earliest nesting birds, often laying eggs in January when snow still covers the ground. Great horned owls are fierce predators, regularly taking prey up to three times their own weight.
Bearded Screech-owl
The Bearded Screech-owl is a small owl found in the highland cloud forests of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in Mexico and western Guatemala. It has brownish, cryptically patterned plumage with fine barring and elongated ear tufts. Like other screech-owls, it hunts small invertebrates and vertebrates at night in dense montane forest.