I’ve noted on previous occasions that Great Horned Owls seem to like the Conservancy’s preserves. Mostly because they are rich in wildlife activity, and thus provide prey for this top-of-the-food chain (or nearly so) creature. These are truly majestic animals, and they have scared off many other owls (we suspect burrowing owls) and raptors (we suspect Swainson’s hawk) on the Conservancy’s BKS tract. A friend who lives in Gold River in Rancho Cordova, CA says that they are pretty sure the Great Horned Owls are taking neighborhood cats that are left out at night. From what I have read and seen, this is plausible.
I don’t know why, but the other day I was observing some weed management issues on the Silva tract, and happened to look up, and there was a Great Horned Owl. These are big birds. The literature says that their wing spans can be from 40 to 60 inches long. So being near one was a little intimidating. Happily, I had my camera with me and was able to get a short clip (see short video associated with this article). After a short while, I knew I needed to vacate the premises, as they say. Hope you can see this video. It just proves that the Conservancy has a broad range of wildlife actively using its preserves, including some of the “take no prisoner” types.
Watch a video of a Great Horned Owl:
Great Horned Owl from The Natomas Basin Conservancy on YouTube.