barito bajada
Great horned owlBirds

Great horned owl

Bubo virginianus

Ear-tufted night hunter — the deep hoots after dark. Takes rabbits, skunks, and unprotected poultry, but does serious rodent control; a closed coop at night settles the conflict.

Key

Year-round resident
Occasional — now and then
Raptor — may take chicks or small poultry
Beneficial — rodent/insect control or pollination
Heard more than seen — know it by voice first
Barito Bajada — field notes from the desert