Great Horned Owl Wingspan: How Big Are They Compared To Others

Great Horned Owl Wingspan 

Great Horned Owl Wingspan

By hearing “Great Horned Owl” you might think they have large horns on their head, but it is not the case! It gets its name from the plumicorns, which are tufts of feathers that sit on top of its head. 

The Great Horned Owl is a powerful predator capable of pursuing larger animals and birds than itself. It’s a common owl in North America and almost any other semi-open area between the Arctic and the tropics. These birds have extremely soft and bushy feathers to insulate themselves during the cold seasons, in addition to strong claws.

Great Horned owls have short but wide wings that allow them to fly through the forest, and their soft feathers allow them to approach prey quietly. The great horned owl is a magnificent bird with a wingspan of about 91 to 153 cm (3.0-5 ft). 

Wingspan Centimeters Inches Feet
Great Horned Owl 91 to 153 cm36-60 inches3.0-5 ft

Furthermore, they are covered in extremely soft feathers that protect them from the cold winter and allow them to fly quietly in pursuit of prey.

Juvenile Great-Horned Owl Wingspan 

Juveniles are young Great Horned Owls with slate gray bills that darken as they mature. Furthermore, juveniles are covered in fluffy down, and their heads are often downy white, which contrasts with the darker facial disc and yellow eyes.

Within 4-5 weeks of birth, these young Great Horned Owls are ready to take their first flight. Juveniles are thought to have a wingspan of about 20 inches (50cm), but they develop as quickly as their parents.

Great Horned Owl Size Comparison To Human

Great Horned Owl Wingspan

Owls are solitary and unfriendly animals, especially once they reach maturity; they are one of the least social birds. The great horned owl is aggressive and fearless, frequently attacking prey that is larger and heavier than it, such as skunks and porcupines. 

Shockingly, if their nesting grounds are threatened, these birds will attack large dogs and other predators like humans. 

The Great Horned Owl, as we now know, is about 2 feet long and has a wingspan of up to 5 feet. The Great Horned Owl is very small in comparison to an adult human, with an average size of 5.5-5.9 feet.

However, when compared to its wingspan, the bird does not really appear to be very small and can be very dangerous and harmful to us.  

It is very rare that a Great Horned Owl gets along with humans, so beware of them!

Barred Owl Vs Great Horned Owl Wingspan Comparison

Great Horned Owl Wingspan

The barred owl, also known as the northern barred owl or the hoot owl, is a large North American owl. Barred owls can be found near forested streams, rivers, and lakes, as well as in deep woods with large trees.

Barred owls are larger and more aggressive than other owls, with a broader prey and habitat preference. The majority of owls, including the Barred and Great Horned, have large wings in relation to their body mass, allowing them to fly low and silently – they are silent flyers!

The Great Horned Owl’s wingspan ranges from 91 to 153 cm or about 3-5 foot. While the Barred owl has a wingspan of about 96 to 125 cm (38 to 49 in) which is quite smaller than the Great-horned Owl.

Wingspan Meters Inches Feet
Great Horned Owl 0.9-1.5336-60 inches3-5 feet
Barred Owl0.96 to 1.25 m38 to 49 in3.1-4.1 feet

Great Horned Owl Vs Bald Eagle Wingspan Comparison

Comparing two same bird types such as comparing one type of owl to the other gives smaller differences, while comparison between two different types such as an owl and an eagle can give us some of the most interesting and shocking facts.

The bald eagle, or Haliaeetus leucocephalus, is a North American bird of prey. As seabirds, bald eagles are almost always found near water. Eagle wings are designed for soaring and gliding on warm air updrafts. The wings of an eagle are very strong and powerful, with passive soaring wings.

These birds have a massive wingspan of 1.8 and 2.3 m (5 ft 11 in and 7 ft 7 in). The Bald Eagle has a larger wingspan than the Great Horned Owl. 

Wingspan Meters Inches Feet
Great Horned Owl 0.9-1.5336-60 inches3-5 feet
Bald Eagle1.8 and 2.3 m70-90 inches5.11-7.7ft

Great Horned Owl Vs Barn Owl Wingspan Comparison

The barn owl is a medium-sized owl with long wings that is pale in color. Barn Owls are predatory birds that hunt and catch small mammals. Additionally, the Barn Owl has excellent low-light vision and can detect prey by sight at night. However, its ability to locate prey solely through sound is commendable. 

Not only does the Barn Owl differ from other owls in appearance, with its heart-shaped face and tiny tail, but it is also classified in a different group than all other North American owls.

Similar to the Great Horned Owls, the Barn owl has a very low wing loading, that is it has large wings relative to its body mass. This allows the Barn Owls for a slow and silent flight. 

The Barn Owl has a wingspan in the range of 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in) or around 4 feet, which is smaller than the wingspan of a Great Horned Owl. 

Wingspan Meters Inches Feet
Great Horned Owl 0.9-1.5336-60 inches3-5 feet
Barn Owl0.8 to 0.95 m31 to 37 in2.5-3 ft

Great Horned Owl Vs Peregrine Falcon Wingspan Comparison

Peregrine falcons are among the most common birds of prey in the world, and they can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

Due to its strong hunting ability and versatile skills, the peregrine falcon is a well-respected falconry bird.

The Peregrine Falcon is a powerful and fast-flying bird that hunts medium-sized birds by dropping down from high above in a spectacular stoop.

Peregrine falcons are large predatory raptors with a wingspan ranging from 74 to 120 cm (29-47 in) or 2.4-3.9 feet.

The Peregrine Falcon is one of the world’s fastest birds, capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour when power-diving from great heights to strike prey. 

So far, no bird has been discovered that can match the flying speed of a Peregrine falcon during their hunting dive.

Wingspan Meters Inches Feet
Great Horned Owl 0.9-1.5336-60 inches3-5 feet
Peregrine Falcon0.74 to 1.2 m29-47 in2.4-3.9 feet

Conclusion

And that was everything you need to know about the wingspan of a Great horned owl. I hope the article was quite informative and you got something valuable from it.

Thank You For Reading!

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