Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
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Great Horned Owls are much more common in Austin in the winter than in the summer. Although a few stay around to nest in the very early spring (late winter, really), most are just visiting for the winter before returning north for the warm weather.
Great horned owls are very large birds. Despite their large size, during the day they sit so quietly and blend in so well with the trunks of trees that they are usually only noticed when crows or jays are mobbing them. At night, great horned owls move so quietly that they are seldom seen. Fortunately for owl watchers, their call, a ghostly "who wh-who, whoo, whoo, whoo" is easily recognized on a cool winter night as they hunt through the treetops for sleeping squirrels.
class: Aves / order: Strigiformes / family: Strigidae / genus: Bubo / species: virginianus
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