Hello everyone.   I am known also as the Hoot owl, Cat Owls or Winged Tiger. Doesn't that sound impressive? I am the male of the species and will be telling you all about us today.

We vary in color from a reddish brown to a grey or black & white. Our bellys are light grey with dark bars and a white band of feathers on our upper breast. We have large yellow-orange eyes surrounded by a light orange face. We get our name from the tufts of feathers on our heads that look like little horns. We have big feet and of course once again my partner the female is the larger of the species, something to do with reproduction they tell me.

When it comes time to hunt for food we are very resourceful. We usually sit on high perches and dive down and swoop on our prey and grab our food with our huge talons. We have hearty appetites and can carry off prey larger then ourselves. We like rabbits, chickens, racoons, skunks (as long as they don't spritz us first) porcupines (these can be dangerous too), domestic cats and dogs (sorry about these) and bats and the like. We have been known to eat them whole on the spot or sometimes bring them back to the nest with us. Hey all living creatures have to eat we're just not as refined as you humans are.

Now regarding our breeding habits, usually I would let the female tell you about this but she is busy at the moment. We mate during the months of January and February. Our courtship is very romantic as we bow to one another when we meet and then rub our bills together and ruffle our feathers to show off. We usually use other birds nests like the Heron or crow to await our new arrivals which happens in about 26-35 days. Our little ones are called "branches" as they start to venture out before they start to fly. The flying usually takes place when they are about 9-10 weeks old.

We can be spotted in North America in forests, parks, and desserts. We have also been seen in Central and South America. We've also been known to live in Alaska, Canada and as far south as Texas and Florida. So we do get around.

Well that's about it for now it's time for me to go get dinner. I'm also a very loving and loyal partner and father.