Great Horned Owls are the only predator that "can" deplete its food supply
to the point that it has to move to enable it to find food. They are one of
the most efficient winged predators on the planet. It is not rare for them
to view other Raptors as competition, and kill them at every opportunity.
The easy ID is that the Owl will invariably eat the head of its victim. If
food is scarce the rest will go along with it, but most of the time you
will find that the head has been eaten either partially or fully.
I once came across a GHO on the RR tracks south of Klamath. He was sitting
in the middle of the tracks and was unable to fly. Near him was a headless
Barn Owl. The GHO had suffered a puncture wound (sucking) to the chest and
lungs and the loss of one of its eyes, yet it had eaten the head of the
Barn Owl in spite of its injuries.
A young male GHO who is establishing a territory is generally the culprit
and they are very intolerant of any other competition.
Larry Cottrell
--
*The older I get, the less tolerant I am of those who are intolerant.*
*If you forward this email, or any part of it, please remove my email
address before sending.*
