JACKSON, Wyo. — Listen for a deep, booming “whoo” this Halloween season. It could be the North American great gray owl.
Buckrail photographer Nick Sulzer was fortunate enough to sight one perched on a tree outside the boundary of Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) on Tuesday, Oct. 22. The owl was on alert, in anticipation of its next meal.
According to the Owl Research Institute, great grays will use their keen hearing and eyesight to pinpoint small rodents in the grass, brush or snow. These owls can detect prey from great distances — some believe over 300 feet away. In the winter, great grays can hear tunneling rodents beneath the deep snow.
Great grays will eat mice, voles, pocket gophers, shrews, squirrels, weasels and small birds. They can also eat larger animals like rabbits, snowshoe hares and grouse.
Once a great gray is ready, it will swoop down on the ground and use its strong talons to grasp its prey. They can even plunge through hard snow crust in order to catch a rodent, according to GTNP. This great gray enjoyed gobbling down a small mouse.
According to Audubon, the great gray is the tallest North American owl, standing up to a height of 33 inches. However, much of this species’ size is made up of puffy feathers, which protects them from harsh winter conditions.
The great gray can be seen in GTNP throughout the year.
