We've got some stellar owls today! All 4 up for battle are some of my very favorites. Let's meet them now!
For many here, the Great Horned will need no introduction. For so much of both American continents, this is one of the biggest, toughest birds around. It fights eagles, it cares nothing for the armor of porcupines or the chemical warfare of skunks as it is largely immune to both of them, making the GHO one of the few natural predators they have, and that resonant hoot that travels huge distances is a sound we all learn when we are young and still cherish in our later years as a requisite part of the night soundscape.
It is a large owl, with a crushing grip, estimated up to 500 psi, a clamping force higher than all but the largest military dogs' jaws. It hunts whatever it wants, up to smaller turkeys.
While color variations change with the area and climate they live in, they all look great, and those massive feet, large yellow eyes, and large plumicorns help them strike a dramatic figure. Can this apex predator win the day?
The Sooty Owl is less known, living in some areas of Australia and New Guinea. They live in rainforest or eucalyptus forest.
They are medium, dark colored owls, with a pattern of white spots that give a feeling of staring into deep space. Their calls are long screeches of a descending tone, typically referred to as a "falling bomb" sound. They hunt all types of small land or arboreal mammals.
They are thought to be the 2nd largest of the barn owl genus, Tyto, being just smaller than the Tasmanian Masked Owl.
Will this dark stranger beat out the icon of the Americas? Vote now!
