Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

This is one of North America’s most spectacular owls, andin dimensions, the largest. However, much of the mass of agreat gray owl is comprised of thick plumage, which serves asexcellent insulation. A great gray weighs 2.4 lbs. on average,while the smaller great horned owl weighs about 3.1 lbs.Great gray owls live in the northern boreal forest, and onlyrarely do significant numbers venture southwards in winter.Like other northern owls, these irruptions are stimulated bya crash in their primary prey populations; small mammalslike lemmings. There are only two documented Ohio records,from 1898 in Mahoning County and 1947 on Starve Island inLake Erie. There is a chance that one could appear again, andif it does, it will be one of the most exciting events in Ohio birdwatching for quite some time.This is a species of the northern boreal forest, and quite ararity in Ohio. There have been at least two confirmed records,but several other reports have probably been correct as well.Like other boreal species, Northern hawk owls sometimesstage large southward flights in winter, known as irruptions.However, Northern hawk owls barely enter the U.S., exceptduring major irruptions, but even then are extremely raresouth of the Great Lakes.Unlike most owls, this species is diurnal and often quiteconspicuous as they are prone to perching in prominent spotslike the tips of small trees. It is likely that Northern hawk owlwill appear in Ohio again, probably in one of the countiesbordering Lake Erie.R A R E O H I O O W L S 51Range acrossNorth AmericaBreedingWinteringYear-roundRange acrossNorth AmericaBreedingWinteringYear-round