Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl has risen sharply: up 50% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) is a North American member of the Owls (Strigidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 5–27.5 in long (13–70 cm) — a nocturnal raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 2,722 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 49 states, most concentrated in the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie.
- Family
- Strigidae · Birds of prey
Notable Great Horned Owl Trends
Great Horned Owl has risen sharply in surveyed states: up 50% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Great Horned Owl Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Great Horned Owl is projected to rise about 25% by 2029 — from 0.13 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.17 (95% range 0.09–0.25). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±30.8%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.17 | 0.09 | 0.25 |
| 2026 | 0.17 | 0.09 | 0.25 |
| 2027 | 0.17 | 0.09 | 0.25 |
| 2028 | 0.17 | 0.09 | 0.25 |
| 2029 | 0.17 | 0.09 | 0.25 |
Where the Great Horned Owl Is Detected
BBS routes recording Great Horned Owl, sized by most recent count.
Great Horned Owl Population Trend by State
| Alabama | +94% | 1968 | 65 |
| Alaska | -49% | 1983 | 53 |
| Arizona | +2% | 1970 | 61 |
| Arkansas | -39% | 1971 | 37 |
| California | +193% | 1971 | 176 |
| Colorado | -51% | 1970 | 116 |
| Connecticut | +61% | 1981 | 14 |
| Delaware | +88% | 1969 | 10 |
| Florida | +77% | 1969 | 77 |
| Georgia | +7% | 1971 | 68 |
| Idaho | -46% | 1971 | 41 |
| Illinois | -27% | 1970 | 89 |
| Indiana | -17% | 1973 | 41 |
| Iowa | -41% | 1969 | 36 |
| Kansas | -7% | 1969 | 63 |
| Kentucky | -26% | 1970 | 39 |
| Louisiana | +24% | 1969 | 50 |
| Maine | -32% | 1980 | 18 |
| Maryland | -46% | 1968 | 55 |
| Massachusetts | +32% | 1991 | 11 |
| Michigan | -62% | 1973 | 42 |
| Minnesota | -58% | 1970 | 72 |
| Mississippi | -8% | 1973 | 35 |
| Missouri | -36% | 1969 | 75 |
| Montana | -20% | 1970 | 72 |
| Nebraska | +26% | 1969 | 62 |
| Nevada | +109% | 1974 | 19 |
| New Hampshire | -9% | 1979 | 9 |
| New Jersey | +152% | 1981 | 22 |
| New Mexico | +1% | 1970 | 54 |
| New York | -19% | 1968 | 69 |
| North Carolina | +36% | 1978 | 64 |
| North Dakota | -7% | 1970 | 49 |
| Ohio | +62% | 1968 | 55 |
| Oklahoma | +68% | 1969 | 65 |
| Oregon | -54% | 1970 | 96 |
| Pennsylvania | -36% | 1968 | 96 |
| Rhode Island | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Carolina | +6% | 1971 | 29 |
| South Dakota | -85% | 1969 | 57 |
| Tennessee | +173% | 1974 | 38 |
| Texas | -49% | 1969 | 178 |
| Utah | -48% | 1970 | 47 |
| Vermont | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Virginia | -33% | 1970 | 56 |
| Washington | -71% | 1973 | 61 |
| West Virginia | +1% | 1982 | 21 |
| Wisconsin | -26% | 1969 | 75 |
| Wyoming | -90% | 1970 | 78 |
Great Horned Owl Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Great Horned Owl Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 50% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.