"Foster" - a Great Horned Owl

This mature female great horned owl was found in Fontana, KS after being hit by a train. She suffered a total of 16 fractures and bilateral detached retinas. Her wrist area of the right wing was amputated by the train, impairing her ability to fly and preventing her release back into the wild.

"Foster" serves a dual purpose within our facility. During the baby season she is a foster parent to orphaned owlets that will be released back into the wild. During the off season she is part of OWL's education team teaching young and old the value of our native wildlife.

Fun Facts

Great horned owls are often called "flying tigers" because anything that moves is fair game.
They occupy nests of other animals or lay their eggs in indentations.
Found all over the United States and Canada.
Largest North American owl with ear tufts. The tufts aid in camouflage and are only feathers.
A nocturnal owl whose primary diet consists of skunks, rabbits, rats and mice.
Eyes are shaped like a roll of quarters and are binocular, enabling this owl to focus on objects from a long distance
Fringed edges of the feathers aid in silent flight and facial disks focus sound waves to the ears.
Their call is a "hoo hoo." Sometimes referred to as the "hoot owl."
For humans to see as well as a great horned owl, our eyes would have to weigh 5 lbs and be as big as softballs.
Eggs laid in January-February are incubated by the female for approximately 35 days.
Young fledge at about 70 days and stay with parents until late summer.
Average life span is approximately 10 years in the wild.

Read about a different education animal.