Strigidae Animals

Great horned owls usually hunt from a perch in forest, woodland, desert edges, farmland, and cities. Their broad diet includes rodents, rabbits, birds, and other animals. Snowy owls hunt across open polar ground, often using low rises as lookout points for lemmings and birds.

Snowy owls may be active in daylight during the Arctic summer, so “owl” does not always mean strictly nocturnal. Great horned owls are more consistently associated with dusk and night, although weather, season, and prey can shift activity in either species.

Both are carnivores with strong feet and sharply curved talons. Snowy owls carry dense feathering over the legs and toes for insulation, while pale plumage breaks up the body against snow and tundra. Great horned owls use mottled brown patterning among bark and shadow.

Some snowy owls remain in the Arctic; others move far south in winter, with occasional irruptions bringing unusually large numbers into temperate regions. Great horned owls are generally resident and defend established territories year-round.