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The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air") [3] or the hoot owl, [4] is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. [5]
The long-eared owl (Asio otus), also known as the northern long-eared owl [3] or, more informally, as the lesser horned owl or cat owl, [4] is a medium-sized species of owl with an extensive breeding range. The genus name, Asio, is Latin for "horned owl", and the specific epithet, otus, is derived from Greek and refers to a small eared owl. [5]
Among the latter, the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), in the Americas, and the Eurasian eagle-owl (B. bubo) are noted predators of barn owls. Despite some sources claiming that there is little evidence of predation by great horned owls, one study from Washington found that 10.9% of the local great horned owl's diet was made up of barn owls.
Detail of an eye of an eagle-owl. The genus Bubo was introduced in 1805 by the French zoologist André Duméril for the horned owls. [2] The type species is the Eurasian eagle-owl. [3] The word bubo is Latin for the Eurasian eagle owl and was used as the specific epithet for the species by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. [4]
The larger barn owl (Tyto alba) needs a force of 30 N to release its prey, and one of the largest owls, the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), needs a force over 130 N to release prey in its talons. [34] An owl's talons, like those of most birds of prey, can seem massive in comparison to the body size outside of flight.
The longest great gray owl was 120 mm (4.7 in) longer than the biggest Blakiston's fish owl but would be about 2.5 times lighter than the weight of the largest female Blakiston's. [8] However, the average measurements of Blakiston's fish owl surpass the average measurements of the Eurasian eagle-owl in at least two of the major categories ...
The genus Asio was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the long-eared owl (Asio otus) as the type species. [1] [2] The genus name is from asiō, the Latin name used by Pliny the Younger for a type of horned owl, [3] the feather tufts on the head of these owls give the appearance of "ears" which is a defining characteristic.
A number of owl fossils were at one time assigned to the present genus, but are nowadays placed elsewhere. While there are clear differences in osteology between typical owls and barn owls, there has been parallel evolution to some degree and thus isolated fossil bones cannot necessarily be assigned to either family without thorough study.