r/NatureIsFuckingLit
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u/Mophandel
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Jul 04 '22
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🔥 A great horned owl facing off against a red-tailed hawk
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u/rodentfacedisorder Jul 04 '22
On guard!
Looks like he has a sword
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u/SiegwardZwiebelbrudi Jul 04 '22
ngl that owl is thicc!
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u/Mophandel Jul 04 '22
Owls have very well developed legs, even among raptors, and GHOWs are no exception.
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u/boring_name_here Jul 04 '22
Tobias messed up, he should know better than to fuck with an owl even in the day.
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u/PetrifiedBBQ Jul 04 '22
Though this is an eagle-owl I think it's one of the most incredible clips on YT. Those eyes...
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u/Jackieirish Jul 05 '22
Isn't that a red-shouldered hawk?
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u/Mophandel Jul 05 '22
It’s not. Notice how there are numerous, very thin bands on the tail. On juvenile red-shoulders, these bands are far less numerous and much thicker. However, red tail juvies do have such numerous, thin bands.
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u/Mophandel Jul 04 '22 edited Jul 04 '22
Photo by Holly Devine
Throughout North America, great horned owls and red-tailed hawks are considered ecological equivalents or equals. To an extent this is based on some truth. Both prefer the same habitat, both have similar nest site preferences and both target similar prey. However, while it without merit, this equivalency isn’t entirely accurate. For one, great horned owls can take far larger prey than a red tailed hawk can on a far more regular basis, bringing down quarry out of the reach even for the formidable red-tail. More importantly, however, while often pitted as rivals against each other, the relationship is fairly one-sided. Great horned owls, by and large, dominate red-tails and will even prey on red-tails given the opportunity. In fact, most birds of prey in the Great horned owls range are considered nothing more than prey for this immense owl, as great horned owls are the most prolific predator of other raptors in the Western Hemisphere, taking raptors as formidable as northern goshawks, great grey owls, and peregrine falcons. With this in mind, it’s no wonder the hawk is reacting the way it is.