You are here
Species
Bubo virginianus (Gmelin, 1788)
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
This taxon is found in the Chihuahuan Desert, which is one of the most biologically diverse arid regions on Earth. This ecoregion extends from within the United States south into Mexico. This desert is sheltered from the influence of other arid regions such as the Sonoran Desert by the large mountain ranges of the Sierra Madres. This isolation has allowed the evolution of many endemic species; most notable is the high number of endemic plants; in fact, there are a total of 653 vertebrate taxa recorded in the Chihuahuan Desert. Moreover, this ecoregion also sustains some of the last extant populations of Mexican Prairie Dog, wild American Bison and Pronghorn Antelope.
The dominant plant species throughout the Chihuahuan Desert is Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata). Depending on diverse factors such as type of soil, altitude, and degree of slope, L. tridentata can occur in association with other species. More generally, an association between L. tridentata, American Tarbush (Flourensia cernua) and Viscid Acacia (Acacia neovernicosa) dominates the northernmost portion of the Chihuahuan Desert. The meridional portion is abundant in Yucca and Opuntia, and the southernmost portion is inhabited by Mexican Fire-barrel Cactus (Ferocactus pilosus) and Mojave Mound Cactus (Echinocereus polyacanthus). Herbaceous elements such as Gypsum Grama (Chondrosum ramosa), Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) and Hairy Grama (Chondrosum hirsuta), among others, become dominant near the Sierra Madre Occidental. In western Coahuila State, Lecheguilla Agave (Agave lechuguilla), Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), Purple Prickly-pear (Opuntia macrocentra) and Rainbow Cactus (Echinocereus pectinatus) are the dominant vascular plants.
Because of its recent origin, few warm-blooded vertebrates are restricted to the Chihuahuan Desert scrub. However, the Chihuahuan Desert supports a large number of wide-ranging mammals, such as the Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra americana), Robust Cottontail (Sylvilagus robustus EN); Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Grey Fox (Unocyon cineroargentinus), Jaguar (Panthera onca), Collared Peccary or Javelina (Pecari tajacu), Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus auduboni), Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys sp.), pocket mice (Perognathus spp.), Woodrats (Neotoma spp.) and Deer Mice (Peromyscus spp). With only 24 individuals recorded in the state of Chihuahua Antilocapra americana is one of the most highly endangered taxa that inhabits this desert. The ecoregion also contains a small wild population of the highly endangered American Bison (Bison bison) and scattered populations of the highly endangered Mexican Prairie Dog (Cynomys mexicanus), as well as the Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus).
The Chihuahuan Desert herpetofauna typifies this ecoregion.Several lizard species are centered in the Chihuahuan Desert, and include the Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum); Texas Banded Gecko (Coleonyx brevis), often found under rocks in limestone foothills; Reticulate Gecko (C. reticulatus); Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus); several species of spiny lizards (Scelopoprus spp.); and the Western Marbled Whiptail (Cnemidophorus tigris marmoratus). Two other whiptails, the New Mexico Whiptail (C. neomexicanus) and the Common Checkered Whiptail (C. tesselatus) occur as all-female parthenogenic clone populations in select disturbed habitats.
Representative snakes include the Trans-Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis subocularis), Texas Blackhead Snake (Tantilla atriceps), and Sr (Masticophis taeniatus) and Neotropical Whipsnake (M. flagellum lineatus). Endemic turtles include the Bolsón Tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus), Coahuilan Box Turtle (Terrapene coahuila) and several species of softshell turtles. Some reptiles and amphibians restricted to the Madrean sky island habitats include the Ridgenose Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi), Twin-spotted Rattlesnake (C. pricei), Northern Cat-eyed Snake (Leptodeira septentrionalis), Yarrow’s Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus jarrovii), and Canyon Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus burti).
There are thirty anuran species occurring in the Chihuahuan Desert: Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Rana chircahuaensis); Red Spotted Toad (Anaxyrus punctatus); American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus); Canyon Treefrog (Hyla arenicolor); Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans); Rio Grande Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus cystignathoides); Cliff Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus marnockii); Spotted Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus guttilatus); Tarahumara Barking Frog (Craugastor tarahumaraensis); Mexican Treefrog (Smilisca baudinii); Madrean Treefrog (Hyla eximia); Montezuma Leopard Frog (Lithobates montezumae); Brown's Leopard Frog (Lithobates brownorum); Yavapai Leopard Frog (Lithobates yavapaiensis); Western Barking Frog (Craugastor augusti); Mexican Cascade Frog (Lithobates pustulosus); Lowland Burrowing Frog (Smilisca fodiens); New Mexico Spadefoot (Spea multiplicata); Plains Spadefoot (Spea bombifrons); Pine Toad (Incilius occidentalis); Woodhouse's Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii); Couch's Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus couchii); Plateau Toad (Anaxyrus compactilis); Texas Toad (Anaxyrus speciosus); Dwarf Toad (Incilius canaliferus); Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad (Gastrophryne olivacea); Great Plains Toad (Anaxyrus cognatus); Eastern Green Toad (Anaxyrus debilis); Gulf Coast Toad (Incilius valliceps); and Longfoot Chirping Toad (Eleutherodactylus longipes VU). The sole salamander occurring in the Chihuahuan Desert is the Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum).
Common bird species include the Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia), Merlin (Falco columbarius), Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), and the rare Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus). Geococcyx californianus), Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostra), Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata), Scott’s Oriole (Icterus parisorum), Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata), Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), Worthen’s Sparrow (Spizella wortheni), and Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus). In addition, numerous raptors inhabit the Chihuahuan Desert and include the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) and the Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | cc-by-nc-sa 3.0 |
Source | http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbed397896bb431f690a5c/52a29eeb0cf28463bc8df21e/ |
Canada
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Bubo+virginianus |
Systems
- Terrestrial
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | © International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources |
Source | http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/61752071 |
Cazan sobre todo en pastizales, sabanas, bordes de arboledas. Se alimentan de "zorros pelones" pequeños, y otros mamíferos de tamaño mediano y aves.
Great horned owls are monogamous, forming a mating pair that raise the young. Breeding pairs are territorial, excluding other breeding pairs from their territory to ensure access to prey. However, they may only display territorial behavior in areas close to their nest and do not completely protect their territory. Mates find one another through 'hooting' rituals, which increase in intensity as the mating season approaches. Males hoot throughout the year, but females only hoot during mating season.
Mating System: monogamous
Great horned owls inhabit nests abandoned by squirrels or other birds, including other great horned owls. Their brood sizes depend on food availability and geographic location. Smaller broods are more common in years with lower prey abundance. On the eastern seaboard, broods than 2 are considered rare. In central and western North America, however, a brood size of 3 to 4 is not uncommon. They have 1 to 6 eggs per season which hatch in 30 to 37 days. Great horned owl chicks fledge in 6 to 9 days and achieve independence at 5 to 10 weeks. They achieve sexual maturity in 1 to 3 years. Like other birds with a large geographic distribution, great horned owls tend to nest later in the year relative to the increase in latitude of their location.
The mating ritual of great horned owls is described 'violent nodding and bowing', followed by a quieter 'billing and cooing' stage that signifies the completion of copulation.
Breeding interval: Great horned owls breed on a seasonal basis.
Breeding season: Breeding occurs between the months of November and April.
Range eggs per season: 1 to 6.
Range time to hatching: 30 to 37 days.
Range fledging age: 6 to 9 weeks.
Range time to independence: 5 to 10 weeks.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 to 3 years.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 to 3 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; oviparous
Average eggs per season: 3.
Males and females alternate roosting and hunting during the time they are nesting. Males do the majority of the hunting while females spend their time protecting the brood. When prey is scarce, females are more likely to leave the nest unattended to search for additional food, especially if the clutch size is larger than average. The location of their nest varies. In late successional areas, they are more likely to roost in elevated areas (up to 100 feet). In prairies and early successional areas, they set up nests in bushes, cliff nooks, and even on the ground.
Parental Investment: altricial ; male parental care ; female parental care ; pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female)
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2012. "Great Horned Owl" (On-line). Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/greathornedowl.html.
- Baumgartner, F. 1938. Courtship and nesting of the great horned owls. The Wilson Bulletin, 50/4: 274-285.
- Rohner, C. 2001. Non-territorial floaters in great horned owls (Bubo virginianus). 2nd Owl Symposium: 347-362.
- Rohner, C., C. Krebs. 1996. Owl predation on snowshoe hares: Consequences of Antipredator Behaviour. Oecologia, 108/2: 303-310.
- Rohner, C., J. Smith. 1996. Brood size manipulations in great horned owls Bubo virgininanus: Are predators food limited at the peak of prey cycles?. The International Journal of Avian Science, 138/2: 236-242.
- Walsh, D. 1989. Habitat Use, Population Densities, and Vocal Behavior of the Great Horned Owl in Central Utah. Ann Arbor, MI: Proquest Dissertations and Theses.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Bubo_virginianus/ |
Great Horned Owls occasionally prey on domestic poultry, such as ducks and chickens. They are also known to sometimes take domestic cats.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Bubo_virginianus/ |
Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) BREEDING: western and central Alaska to southern Keewatin and Labrador, south to southern South America. NON-BREEDING: generally throughout breeding range; northernmost populations partially migratory, wintering south to southern Canada and northern U.S.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Bubo+virginianus |
Comments: Various forested habitats, moist or arid, deciduous or evergreen lowland forest to open temperate woodland, including second-growth forest, swamps, orchards, riverine forest, brushy hillsides, and desert. Very local in tropical lowlands (Hilty and Brown 1986).
Nest sites in different areas include: in trees in old or usurped nests of other birds (e.g., hawk, crow) or squirrel; tree cavities; stumps; rocky ledges; caves; in barns; and on artificial platforms. Usually in heaviest available timber in east; sites more diverse in arid west. Typically does not use same tree nest in successive years.
El búho cornudo es una especie generalista y oportunista por lo que se alimenta de una gran variedad de presas las cuales incluye pequeños y medianos mamíferos, aves, anfibios, reptiles, peces, insectos y otros invertebrados. En ocasiones puede alimentarse de carroña cuando las condiciones ambientales son severas. El 77.6% de las presas consumidas en Norteamérica consisten en mamíferos, el 6.1% en aves, y el 1.6% de otros vertebrados. Pero a menudo el 90% de la dieta son lagomorfos, ratones y aves acuáticas. Los mamíferos son la dieta más importante, entre las que destacan Thomomys bottae, Neotoma fuscipes, Mus musculus, Microtus californicus, Peromyscus sp., Zapus sp, Mus sp, Sylvilagus sp., Sorex ornatos, Rattus sp. Dentro de las aves, se han registrado alrededor de 50 diferentes especies, como especies de pájaros bobos (Sula sp.), patos (Anas sp), gansos, cisnes, y varias especies de garzas. En Pennsylvania se alimenta de la rata de Noruega (Rattus norvegicus), (Permoyscus leucopus), del carpintero de pechera (Colaptes auratus) y del tlacuache (Didelphia marsupiallis). En el norte de Canadá se alimenta de liebres (Lepus americanus) las cuales representaron el 83-86% hasta el 13% de la dieta dependiendo de la densidad de las liebres, presentando una respuesta numérica a los ciclos poblacionales de las liebres (Marks, et al., 1999). Los hábitos alimentarios reportadas para esta especie en los Neotrópicos han sido poco estudiados. En Baja California las presas más consumidas fueron los roedores y lagomorfos (Lepus californicus, Sylvilagus audoboni, Peronthus spp, Neotoma lepida, Dipodomys merriami, Peromyscus eva). Los artrópodos fueron el segundo grupo más consumido, entre los que destacaron los insectos como Grillidae y Cerambicidae, algunos reptiles como lagartijas (Phrynosoma coronatus, Seloporus sp.) y serpientes. Las presas menos frecuentes fueron las aves, arañas (Lycosa sp., Olios sp.) y escorpiones (Llinas-Gutiérrez, et al., 1991). En Sonora se han registrado las siguientes presas: Mamíferos Rodentia (Perognathus sp, Dipodomys deserti, D. merriami, Neotoma sp, Sigmodon sp, Sylvilagus sp), aves (Falco sparverius, Tyto alba, Athene cunicularia, Phalaenoptilus nutallii), reptiles (Sauromalus obesus, Uta sp.), Arachnida, Insecta: Orthoptera (Tettigonidae, Acrididae), Coleóptera, (Wink, et al., 1987). En Sudamérica se tienen registros de monos y otros marsupiales como alimento de esta especie. En Surinam el búho cornudo consume tlacuaches (didelphidos), monos y garzas. En Chile se incluyen pequeños mamíferos como Orysomys longicaudatus, Reithrodon physodes, Akodon xanthorhinus, A. lanosus, Rattus norvegicus, R. rattus, Phyllotis darwini; Arachnida: Grammostola sp, Insecta: Tenebrionidae, Carabidae, Tettigonidae, Grillidae, Acrididae (Jáksic et al., 1978; Yañez, et al., 1978). Jáksic, et al. (1978) concluyeron que el búho cornudo captura y consume las especies más abundantes. En Argentina también los mamíferos son las principales presas de esta especie (69%) las que sobresalen Reithrodon auritus, R. physodes, Lepus europaeus, L. capensis, Ctenomys haigi, Abrothrix longipilis, A. xanthorhinus, Eligodontia morgani, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus. Los artrópodos representaron el 27% de las presas donde sobresalieron los escarabajos y escorpiones (Coleoptera, Araneae, Scorpionida), la mayor biomasa provino de especies de mamíferos introducidos como L. europaeus y Oryctolagus cuniculus. Las aves (e.g. Tyrannidae, Anas sp, Falco sparverius, Zenaida auriculata), así como los reptiles (Iguanidae) y anfibios aunque fueron consumidos no fueron bien representados (Iriarte, et al., 1990; Donázar, et al., 1997; Trejo y Grigera, 1998). Generalmente este búho forrajea al anochecer y durante la noche, y rara vez durante el día. En regiones desérticas consume lagartijas las cuales captura en la tarde. El búho cornudo caza desde la percha pero también sobre el piso en áreas abiertas y semi-abiertas en bordes de bosques (König, et al., 1999). Esta especie puede matar a otras especies de búhos como el búho cuerno corto (Asio flammeus), el búho listado (Strix varia), el tecolote llanero (Athene cunicularia), y varias especies de pequeños tecolotes (Otus sp.) (Hume, 1997).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ |
Rights holder/Author | CONABIO |
Source | http://www.conabio.gob.mx/conocimiento/ise/fichasnom/Bubovirginianus00.pdf |
Clutch size averages 2-3. Incubation lasts 26-35 days, mostly by female (male supplies food). Young leave nest at 4-5 weeks, fly well at 9-10 weeks, dependent on parents for several weeks. Most yearling females do not nest. Lost clutch may be replaced. Longevity record in the wild is at least 28 years.