Great Horned Owl Breeding Season Webcams Launch In Louisville

LOUISVILLE, CO -- Louisville celebrated the launch of two webcams this week that will give residents a private look into the nest of the city's favorite resident pair of breeding great horned owls. The partnership with the Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute will allow viewers to see the owls as they go through cycles of courtship, incubation, and feeding.

The Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute website states that the owls have been seen every evening since mid-December, and that the best time to catch a peek is just before dark. CARRI explains that great horned owls are some of the earliest nesting birds in Colorado. Last year, Louisville's pair made their home in an abandoned squirrel nest, while this year they are in a nesting box on City property.

A second owl pair is in a tree cavity on City property for the fourth year since 2015. According to city statistics, between one and three chicks have successfully fledged each season.

Great horned owls eat a variety of prey, including crows, mice, lizards, rabbits and skunks. Juveniles owls will typically leave their parents by mid-summer, but some occasionally stay in the same area until the following year.

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Lead Image: Buckhorn Owl via Shutterstock