Topsy Turvy (Great Horned Owl)

Bubo virginianus

Great horned owls are one of the largest owls in California only topped by the Great Grey Owl. They stand 18-23 inches tall with a 5 foot wingspan. The females are larger than the males. They are amazingly camouflaged for cottonwood and oak woodlands. The basic body color is overall gray spotted with brown, with white and black markings. Their eyes are a deep yellow. Their name “horned” owls comes from distinctive ear tufts that are 1 ½ to 2 inches long. They have a remarkably strong grip, second only to eagles. Great horned owls give a cry of 3-8 hoots. They are silent in flight. Because their eyes are positioned in the front of their heads, they have excellent binocular vision even at close range. Their vision at night is 100 times more sensitive than humans and their hearing is equally sensitive. The feathery facial disks help channel sound to their large eardrums. They are capable of turning their heads 270 degrees.

Topsy Turvy came to Critter Creek in the spring of 2023. He was a young Great Horned Owl nestling that had fallen from a tall palm tree in Kingsburg. He could only hold his head to one side. Our vet thought it might be head trauma which he could recover from as he grew older. Instead, he was constantly turning his head upside down. He had no trouble eating that way. We tried to treat him for an ear infection, but he did not improve. It has been seven months and while he does hold his head upright, he clearly has coordination problems. With all his medical treatments, he has also become habituated to people.