Great Horned Owl - Transmission Tower Nest

A reader clued me in on this fantastic Great Horned Owl sighting. What we have here is a pair of four to five week old owlets waiting patiently in the nest while their parents are out hunting. This is a first for me, I have never seen Great Horned Owls nesting on a transmission tower before.

Great Horned Owl - Transmission Tower Nest

Great Horned Owl - Transmission Tower Nest

It is said that Great Horned Owls do not make nests of their own. Instead they take over the nests of other birds. The large nests built by American Crows, Red-tailed Hawks, and Great Blue Herons are favored by these owls.

I have found a couple of examples of Great Horned Owls nesting in the midst of a Great Blue Heron rookery. This situation creates a very interesting dynamic, where a powerful predator is stationed in such close proximity to potential prey. Posts covering this kind of nesting arrangement can be found here: Great Horned Owl – VCDB Nest.

Great Horned Owl - Transmission Tower Nest

Great Horned Owl - Transmission Tower Nest

As for the owl’s nest on the transmission tower, I believe it is the one time home of a Red-tailed Hawk that has been commandeered. I have seen an example of a Red-tailed Hawk nesting on an near identical tower in another part of town. The hawk’s nest was located in almost the exact same place on the structure. You can read about that sighting here: Red-tailed Hawk – Transmission Tower.

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