It has been my fortune to see a Great Horned Owl family.They are for the most part nocturnal so out of sight. During daylight hours they blend into their environments with great camouflage and an ability to hide so they aren’t mobbed by ravens. When they have families they are easier to find, and they will hunt during daylight hours to feed their young. This particular family was sitting about sixty feet up the side of a mountain. Mom and owlet were perched on an ever so precarious ledge, while father owl swooped protecting his family from the huge ravens that would gather over the site. The parents take turns looking for food, so that all times there is a parent to protect the young.
Owlets hatch and feed in the nest for 45 days or so, after which they begin to discover the world around them. However, their raw flying skills keep bringing them back to the nest each day. After about 3 months of age, the owlets master their flying skills. They continue to remain with their parents until they attain about 5 months of age and then venture out on their own. Once they are 2 years old, they will begin to mate. Great Horned Owls are seen to live to about 13-15 years in the wild, but in captivity they have lived to almost 25-30 years.
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