BUBO VIRGINIANUSGreat Horned Owl Photography
Great Horned Owls were another species I was fortunate to photograph during some free time on a business trip to Las Vegas. With the help of a local wildlife guide, I was able to find several birds and photograph them on some wonderfully open perches.
One of my favourite encounters came towards the end of the day, when the setting sun caught the side of an owl’s face and created a beautiful warm glow. It was one of those occasions where the light, subject and setting came together perfectly.
The following morning brought something rather different. An intense rainstorm swept through Las Vegas — something I was told was a relatively rare occurrence — and shortly afterwards we located two Great Horned Owls. Watching them preening and vigorously shaking the rain from their feathers provided a completely different set of photographic opportunities and some memorable natural behaviour.
Great Horned Owls are powerful and adaptable birds, found across a remarkable variety of habitats throughout the Americas. Their imposing appearance and prominent feather tufts make them one of North America’s most distinctive owl species.
The gallery below brings together some of my favourite Great Horned Owl images from Nevada, all photographed ethically and without baiting.
