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The Great Horned owls nesting season is in January - February when the males and females hoot to each other. The male's resonant territorial call "hoo-hoo hoooooo hoo-hoo" can be heard over several miles during a still night. Both sexes hoot, but males have a lower-pitched voice than females.
Great Horned Owls do not build a nest of their own but utilise the nests of other birds. They may also use squirrel nests, hollows in trees, rocky caves, clumps of witches broom, abandoned buildings, or on artificial platforms.
This Great Horned Owl used a tree cavity. The date here is March 9 and the young great horned owls have hatched. I watched this owl for several hours. She sat patiently, caring for her young below her. It was fun to observe her repositioning her own body as she coped with her moving young below her.

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© Kristen Westlake
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