Great Horned Owl
Great Horned OwlGreat Horned OwlGreat Horned OwlGreat Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Boston

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

510 Verified sightings at Boston
4,459 In all 44 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Great Horned Owl

The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air") or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. Its diet consists primarily of rabbits and hares, rats and mice, and voles; it remains one of the few regular predators of skunk. Hunting also includes rodents, larger mid-sized mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.

In ornithological study, the great horned owl is often compared to the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), a closely related species, which occupies the same ecological niche in Eurasia despite its notably larger size. The great horned owl is also compared to the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), with which it often shares similar habitat, prey, and nesting habits by day; thus the red-tailed hawk is something of a diurnal ecological equivalent. The great horned owl is one of the earliest nesting birds in North America, often laying eggs weeks or even months before other raptorial birds.

The great horned... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Uncertain0:57

El Salvador · 2026

© Alexander Cardoza · XC1184640 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Begging call0:43

United States · 2026

© Scott Olmstead · XC1140509 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Recording0:42

United States · 2022

© AUDEVARD Aurélien · XC1048830 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
2 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
3 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
5 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
8 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
9 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
11 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
12 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
13 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
15 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
16 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
19 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
20 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
22 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
25 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
26 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
27 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
28 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
29 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
31 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
32 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
34 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
35 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
36 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
37 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
38 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
40 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
41 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
42 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
43 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
44 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Toluca 🇲🇽 México
~10%
2 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
7 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Disney's Animal Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Tierpark Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
3 Abilene Zoological Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
4 Ecomuseum Zoo 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
5 Le rocher des aigles 🇫🇷 France In captivity
6 Zoobotanic Park of Brusque 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
7 Parc Omega 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
8 Northwest Trek Wildlife Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
9 Zoo Miami 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
10 African Lion Safari 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
11 Binder Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
12 Toronto Zoo 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
13 Minnesota Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
14 Living Desert Zoo and Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
15 World Bird Sanctuary 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
16 Bronx Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
17 Squam Lakes Natural Science Center 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
18 Ecological Center of Sonora 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
19 Zoofari 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
20 Shubenacadie Wildlife Park 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
21 Los Angeles Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
22 Bearizona 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
23 Parque Zoológico de León - Zooleón 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
24 Wildlife West Nature Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
25 Phoenix Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
26 Cape May County Park & Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
27 Greater Vancouver Zoo 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
28 Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
29 Africam Safari 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
30 Dakota Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
31 Safari Niagara 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
32 Granby Zoo 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
33 Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
34 Saint Louis Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
35 West Virginia State Wildlife Center 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
36 Zoológico "Parque del niño" Jersey 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
37 Chessington World of Adventures 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
38 Gramado Zoo 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
39 Brevard Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
40 Zacango Zoo 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
41 Birds of prey 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
42 ZooTampa 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
43 Gatorland 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
44 Lisbon Zoo 🇵🇹 Portugal In captivity
45 Zoológico Benito Juárez 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
46 Irvine Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
47 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
48 Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos 🇧🇴 Bolivia In captivity
49 ABQ BioPark Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
50 Cameron Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Closest Relatives at Boston

Snowy Owl
VU

Snowy Owl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bubo scandiacus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Eastern Screech-Owl
LC

Eastern Screech-Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Megascops asio

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Barred Owl
LC

Barred Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Strix varia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Short-eared Owl
LC

Short-eared Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Asio flammeus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Northern Saw-whet Owl
LC

Northern Saw-whet Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Aegolius acadicus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Robin
LC

American Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus migratorius

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Blue Jay
LC

Blue Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanocitta cristata

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Northern Cardinal
LC

Northern Cardinal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis cardinalis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Mourning Dove
LC

Mourning Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zenaida macroura

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Song Sparrow
LC

Song Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza melodia

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
House Sparrow
LC

House Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passer domesticus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Great Horned Owl in Boston?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Great Horned Owl sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 510 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 174th most-seen of the 283 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Great Horned Owl in Boston?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Great Horned Owl in Boston on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Great Horned Owl?

Between 6 and 9 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Great Horned Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Boston the best place to see a Great Horned Owl?

28th of 37

Of the 37 cities where we can rate Great Horned Owl sightings, Boston ranks 28th at under 5%. The best odds are in Toluca (México, about 10%), Phoenix (United States, about 10%) and Edmonton (Canada, about 10%).

Where does the Great Horned Owl sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Great Horned Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Boston (510 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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