Skip to content
OpenPhenologybeta
Nearby · Ottawa Co.
BirdsIn Ottawa County, Ohio

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788)

Great Horned Owl in all of Ohio
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
(c) Paul G. Johnson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Paul G. Johnson · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Strigiformes
Family
Strigidae
Genus
Bubo
Near Ottawa County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 0 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 88. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (0)
  • Within its mapped range (37)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (44)
  • Recorded, season not shown (7)
  • Season shown (0)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Range: USGS Gap Analysis Project, Species Range Maps CONUS_2001 (2018). Show as a table
Counties as a table
Great Horned Owl by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecordsIn mapped range
Adams CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Allen CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Athens CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Auglaize CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Brown CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Butler County28 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Carroll CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Champaign CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Clark CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Clermont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Coshocton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Crawford CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Cuyahoga County51 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Defiance CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Delaware CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Erie CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Fayette CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Franklin CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Fulton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Gallia CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Geauga CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Greene CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Hamilton County42 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Hardin CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Harrison CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Henry CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Highland CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Hocking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Holmes CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Huron CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Jackson CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Jefferson CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Lake CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Lawrence CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Logan CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Lorain CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Lucas County36 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Marion CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Medina CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Mercer CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Miami CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Montgomery County22 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Morgan CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Morrow CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Ottawa County29 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Perry CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Pickaway CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Pike CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Portage CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Putnam CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Richland CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Sandusky CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Scioto CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Stark CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Summit County40 · Recorded, season not shownYes: year-round
Trumbull CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Tuscarawas CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Vinton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Washington CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round
Wayne CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wood CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: year-round
Wyandot CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: year-round

Season

When it is recorded

In Ottawa County

Not enough evidence

The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season. Based on 29 records in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Ottawa County · records of all species each week, 13,333 in all

Records per week from 29 records in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Great Horned Owl in Ottawa County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Great Horned OwlYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–102142
Jan 11–170040
Jan 18–240041
Jan 25–310014
Feb 1–70022
Feb 8–141122
Feb 15–210037
Feb 22–280078
Mar 1–71165
Mar 8–140041
Mar 15–211162
Mar 22–281179
Mar 29 – Apr 42179
Apr 5–110080
Apr 12–1842189
Apr 19–2522235
Apr 26 – May 222203
May 3–922557
May 10–16321,468
May 17–23001,043
May 24–3000430
May 31 – Jun 600351
Jun 7–1300223
Jun 14–2011267
Jun 21–2700463
Jun 28 – Jul 400405
Jul 5–1111376
Jul 12–1800448
Jul 19–2500387
Jul 26 – Aug 111406
Aug 2–800430
Aug 9–1500814
Aug 16–2200447
Aug 23–2911353
Aug 30 – Sep 500430
Sep 6–1200406
Sep 13–1900448
Sep 20–2600366
Sep 27 – Oct 300274
Oct 4–1000280
Oct 11–1711169
Oct 18–2400136
Oct 25–3111105
Nov 1–70081
Nov 8–1400136
Nov 15–210040
Nov 22–281153
Nov 29 – Dec 50051
Dec 6–120036
Dec 13–190031
Dec 20–261142
Dec 27 – Jan 20052

In Ohio

Recorded all year

Recorded through most of the year, so there is no single season to show. Based on 615 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 615 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Great Horned Owl in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Great Horned OwlYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–101656,211
Jan 11–17425,146
Jan 18–24224,645
Jan 25–31654,698
Feb 1–71086,023
Feb 8–141365,888
Feb 15–21645,436
Feb 22–281266,846
Mar 1–71378,321
Mar 8–1413610,384
Mar 15–2112612,620
Mar 22–2813613,949
Mar 29 – Apr 415819,661
Apr 5–11371026,860
Apr 12–1839939,925
Apr 19–2539941,623
Apr 26 – May 251856,391
May 3–932952,952
May 10–16351053,785
May 17–2319557,698
May 24–3010654,651
May 31 – Jun 67553,099
Jun 7–137453,700
Jun 14–207556,625
Jun 21–276455,361
Jun 28 – Jul 46458,477
Jul 5–116461,336
Jul 12–184464,722
Jul 19–255469,753
Jul 26 – Aug 110359,416
Aug 2–89459,712
Aug 9–1511655,994
Aug 16–227654,328
Aug 23–2911651,772
Aug 30 – Sep 58457,167
Sep 6–1213559,075
Sep 13–199654,543
Sep 20–267445,860
Sep 27 – Oct 38543,180
Oct 4–107537,841
Oct 11–179630,824
Oct 18–243221,156
Oct 25–315319,021
Nov 1–76514,172
Nov 8–144212,621
Nov 15–21537,965
Nov 22–28648,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5556,083
Dec 6–12646,004
Dec 13–19655,423
Dec 20–26865,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2758,459

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Often confused with

  • Barred Owl Strix variaOften confused in Ohio: 10 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis256 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Long-eared Owl Asio otus171 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • American Barn Owl Tyto furcata158 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio102 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed53%49%
Forest28%31%
Wetland12%5%
Farmland6%11%
Grassland and shrub0.4%0.9%
Open water0.4%3%

From 238 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

615 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.