great horned owl

Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

great horned owl, (Bubo virginianus), horned owl species that ranges from Arctic tree limits south to the Strait of Magellan. A powerful, mottled-brown predator, it is often more than 2 feet (60 cm) long, with a wingspan often approaching 80 inches (200 cm). It usually eats small rodents and birds but has been known to carry off larger prey. Adapted to desert and forest, the species migrates only when food is scarce.