Not all bird fathers invest in their family, but this Father’s Day we’d like to take a look at one HOO does.
Great-Horned Owl Mom and Chick waiting for Dad to return with food. Photo by Ken Bosma
The Great-Horned Owl dad puts in an epic effort every nesting season. Great-Horned Owls are one of the earliest breeding birds in North America. They start nesting in January or February, meaning that in many places the eggs could freeze if left unattended. Mom needs to stay on the nest and Dad needs to bring home the squirrel, or mouse, or rat, or even skunk! Great-Horned Owls are the only bird that regularly feeds on skunks. Yum!
But it doesn’t stop there…