AZGFD

Great Horned Owl Cam

Sometimes the owlets are not easy to see on the cam, so here is a snapshot taken by one of our biologists.

Great Horned Owl Web Cam

The Arizona Game and Fish Department welcomes you to its Great Horned Owl nest cam. This live-streaming camera provides an unedited glimpse of nature in all its beauty and cruelness. As with nature, viewers may witness a variety of behaviors that may seem cruel, such as feeding on other wild animals, so viewer discretion is advised.

An intimate view into the lives of wildlife is a rare privilege and we hope you enjoy and learn from this experience. For questions about the web camera, send inquiries to eaglecam@azgfd.gov.

Updated: May 7

Anyone hungry? You can see the owls left a snack for later on. No, it is not one of the owl family members you have been watching, but rather a prey item that one of them happened to catch and did not finish eating. Our wonderful Area Manager double checked that the deceased bird in the nest was in fact a prey item. We have also had reports of the entire owl family (mother, father, and both fledglings) hanging out in the wooded area near the water. Looks like all is well in the owl world! However, not so good for the bird that was preyed upon. As we have mentioned before, nature is both beautiful and harsh and sometimes we have to be reminded of such behaviors and the reality of the circle of life. (insert Lion King song). Please stay tuned and continue getting a glimpse of these owl’s journey before they head off on their own!

Updated: May 4

They grow up so fast, don’t they? The two owlets have fledged the nest! The first one seems to have fledged on April 30. Then, late night on May 1 or early morning on May 2, is when the second owlet fledged. Since then, we have seen the owlets come back to the nest for a while and then fly off again. This is a good sign, as it means that things are going as planned. The owlets will typically use the nest as a “home base” for a short while and stay with their parents for a time after that to learn everything they need to know to be successful adult owls. The parents have continued to be very close by, never too far away from the owlets, as great-horned owls are very good parents. No need to worry, the owlets are in good hands (or talons)!

Update: April 30

Are they owlets or gymnasts? These two are excellent on the balance beam! Lately, you may have noticed that the two owlets have been venturing out of the nest onto the rafter beam. This activity is called “branching” and is typical for birds to be doing when they are getting ready to fledge the nest. They are simply moving closer and closer to feeling comfortable enough to take their first flight! Also, Arizona has been experiencing its notorious 100 degree weather and you may have noticed the owls and owlets have been puffing their throat in and out and keeping their mouth open. This is simply their version of panting, as birds do not sweat like humans. Need not to worry when you see the owls panting, they are simply trying to cool off, who wouldn’t be in over 100 degree weather, right?
Keep your eye out for any fledging activity and stay tuned!

Update: April 24

You may have seen these two owlets looking as if they are about to hack something up or throw up. Well, you are partially correct. They are simply working on a “pellet” to spit up. What does that mean? Owls (and all birds) have a second stomach called the ventriculus or the gizzard. The gizzard in some birds is fairly small and simple, but in a raptor like an owl it is a crucial part to eating. When an owl eats its prey it goes through the gizzard where its thick muscular wall helps divide up indigestible from digestible parts of the food item. Therefore, the gizzard collects the bones, fur, feathers, etc and once done, the gizzard will use its thick muscular wall to help turn those indigestible items into a pellet in which the owl can spit up and out. Next time you see one of these owlets spit up, try to investigate and guess what they have eaten! As mentioned before, these two should be ready to fledge in the next coming weeks so be sure to stay tuned!

Update: April 16

The owlets are beginning to look like grown owls! The coloration in their contour feathers are starting to come in very nicely! Before we know it they will have their “plumicorns” too! What’s that you ask? Plumicorns are the tufts of feathers located on the top of adult Great-Horned Owls (and some other owls too). People often mistake these elongated feathers for ears, but in fact they are just feathers. The owl’s ears are located on the side of it’s head, and slightly off-center from each other. Anyway, stay tuned! These two will be ready to fledge by the end of the month or early May!

Update: April 8

Well, as you can imagine, there is no longer a ton of room on that nest. You may see over the next few weeks, the female owl giving the owlets some “room to grow” so to speak. As mentioned in previous updates, the owlets now have enough down feathers to thermoregulate by themselves. This frees up time for the adult female owl to spread her wings and get back to hunting. Remember these are raptors and they do love to hunt! So, both the male and female will continue bringing back food like rodents, rabbits, and even some smaller birds to keep these growing babies full! We expect the owlets will fledge sometime at the end of April or beginning of May! Make sure to stay tuned on this adorable family!

Update: April 2

Both owlets are continuing to grow and learn from their parents! The owlets have enough down feathers now that they can thermoregulate for themselves, which is why you may see the female leave the nest just a bit more than last week. She is simply doing her part and helping the male bring home more food for the little ones as they grow. Additionally, we have heard some concerns of there only being one owl in the nest, rest assured there are still two owlets in the nest, the smaller one is oftentimes just harder to see, or is hanging out on the other side of the nest, nearest the barn wall.

Update: March 26

The two owlets continue to grow at an ever increasing rate! The owl couple have been amazing parents in feeding and caring for these two owlets. The male owl is still diligent at bringing home prey for the family and now, even the female owl, has started venturing off to go hunting herself. You may have noticed that one owlet is a bit smaller than the other, this is fairly common (e.g. runt of the litter in puppies). When this happens, the smaller offspring often struggles to survive. This is not different for great horned owls, though it should be noted that great horned owls tend to make terrific parents and as mentioned before, this owl couple has shown this through this entire experience. So, hopefully they will make sure that the little one survives, just as the larger owlet. Fingers crossed and stay tuned!

Update: March 20

There are owlets in the nest! We have confirmed two hatchlings in the nest. For the past five years, this nest has produced three owlets every year. There may be a third owlet we just cannot see yet. However, we are certain of two owlets in this nest. They can be tough to see, except when the adult female is feeding them. The male has been bringing back prey to feed the female and nestlings in the evening. Early in the morning from 6 a.m. – 9 a.m. seems to be a regular feeding time. Check in at those times and you should be able to see them! They grow very quickly and will be fully visible 24/7, within a week or two.

Update: March 18

We anticipate being able to see owlets in the nest any day now. Between 21:30 – 21:38 on Tuesday, March 17, it looked like there were movements that were possibly a nestling head, however, we are not 100% certain yet. The female continues to stay on the nest throughout the majority of the day and night, and the male is continuously delivering prey for her to eat. As of now, we cannot say with 100% certainty if she is feeding owlet(s). Stay tuned!

Update: March 3, 2020

The female great horned owl is on her eggs and the nest 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Stay tuned as there will likely be owlets in the nest within the next two or three weeks. Watch the progress.

About Great Horned Owls

Among the owl family (Strigidae), the Great Horned Owl (GHO) is one of the most widespread and common. Due to its variety of selected habitats, this owl can be found all over North America and large portions of South America. Much like their geographical distribution, the Great Horned Owl diet is among the most diverse of its kind. Similar to other raptors, they will prey mostly on small mammals such as mice, voles, gophers, prairie dogs, bats, rabbits, other birds, etc.

Great Horned Owls are distinctive in their prominent feathered ear ‘tufts.” These ear tufts are essentially longer feathers around where the average person might think their ears would be located. Fun fact, owls ears are actually located in a low position on either side of their head, with the left ear being lower than their right ear!

Although protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Great Horned Owls are considered of “Least Concern” by the IUCN Red list. They are found to be plentiful in Arizona and not of management concern.

For more information about Great Horned Owls see our Great Horned Owl Background.

Great Horned Owl Cam Funding

The Arizona Game and Fish Department Great Horned Owl live-streaming camera was funded by the Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation (AZSFWC)! Please join us in extending a huge thank you to AZSFWC for their generous donation and making it possible for us to provide this live-streaming camera for your viewing pleasure!

If you enjoy this streaming video, help support it and other wildlife viewing program activities by making a donation. You can click the AZGFD logo on the cam to make a donation directly.

List of AZGFD wildlife cams