Around the autumn and winter holidays, I see an unusual amount of décor based on owls. One such owl is the Great Horned Owl. (I just bought a Christmas tree topper - yes, a Great Horned Owl!) You will see these large owls at dusk or nighttime, and you need to spot their distinctive ear tufts to identify them. If you can't see them right off, listen for their "who, hoo, hoo" call. The females and larger than the male.

They are considered birds of prey dining on rats, mice, voles, raptors, crows, and rabbits. They swallow their prey whole. After dining, they regurgitate undigestible bones, fur, and feathers in "pellets". I have seen crows mobbing and chasing a Great Horned around our neighborhood to rid the sky of their foe. They nest in abandoned nests or hollows of trees. Finally they can fly up to 40 MPH. The Great Horned Owl is the largest owl species native to Indiana; their wingspan is from 3 to 5 feet across. When you spot one, you will be astonished!