Despite its name, The Great Horned Owl doesn’t actually have horns. Instead it has tufts of feathers on either side of its head, which resemble horns. The bird's feathers are brown to gray, except for the ones on its throat, which are white. The face is a reddish brown colour. Great horned owls have a wingspan of approximately 1.4 meters and weigh just 1.4 kilograms. They are one of North America’s largest and most widespread owl species. Though common, great horned owls are rarely seen due to their nocturnal habits and excellent camouflage. The owl’s flight feathers have soft edges that allow it to fly silently.
Owls cannot move their eyes; therefore they have to move their whole head to see what is around them.
Owls have special features that allow them to be able to turn their heads from side to side over a much wider range than humans. The owl has 14 vertebrae in its neck while a human has 7. The skull of the owl sits on just one special bone at the top of its vertebral column whereas the human uses two bones. This single bone arrangement allows the head to turn side to side more readily. There are also special blood vessels.
