The Great Horned
Owl
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by Jim Sage
T
here are two classic
sounds
in
the
Chihua huan Desert
that stir my imagination:
the howl of the coyote and
the deep sonorous hoot of
the Great Horned Owl.
Today my focus is the Great Horned Owl.
I am hearing the hoot of the horned owl almost
every morning now, and it’s little wonder that peo-
ple through the ages have been fascinated and
struck with awe by this low, soft hoot which can be
heard for several miles.
Perhaps few other creatures have had so many
different and conflicting beliefs held about them.
They have been hated and beloved, associated
with death and witchcraft and admired for great
wisdom. Stories of owls have become folklore
passed along through the centuries.
In Indian mythology, owls represent wisdom
and prophecy. This is also repeated in Aesop’s
fables and Greek myths. During the middle ages
the owl became associated with witchcraft and if
the owl called your name, death was imminent.
Today in modern societies, where superstition has
lost some of its hold, the owl has regained its status
as a symbol of wisdom.
The Great Horned Owl is found from Canada
to the Straits of Magellan. It is the most wide-
spread of all of the owls. In the far north it may
move south in the winter to a warmer climate, but
otherwise it does not migrate.
This wise old bird has several distinguishing fea-
tures. Its yellow eyes do not move, neither up nor
down nor sideways. The bird rotates its head 270
degrees in order to see. The eyes are quite large,
and if the owl were as large as a human, its eyes
would be the size of an orange. If you see the owl
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Cenizo
First Quarter 2013
15