Now that the trees around town are bare, nesting sites can be easily seen and are sparking interest in the Great Horned Owl (Bubo Virginianus) in Broomfield.

The Great Horned Owl is the largest owl in Colorado. Its size and those tufted feathers that look like ears allow it to be classified as the largest tufted owl in North America. The tufts are not ears, but feather arrangements called plumicorns. The plumicorns do not aid in hearing, but can be raised or lowered depending on the owl's mood. Their coloring can range from brown to gray to black with a v-shaped white patch under their chin. They are found all over North America, from dense forests to city parks and mountain habitats to desert areas, and are often seen throughout Broomfield.

The Great Horned Owl is silent in flight because of sound-reducing filaments along the tips of their long wings. They have acute hearing that allows them to pinpoint prey and are said to hear a mouse moving under a foot of snow. Their varied diet consists of rodents, waterfowl, rabbits, squirrels, marsh birds, hawks, frogs, eels, fish and insects. They also are one of the few birds that will take a skunk or porcupine.

This owl has yellow eyes, which are the largest of all owl species. Their vision is 10 times better than humans during the day and 100 times better at night. They cannot move their eyes from side to side, like humans. Instead, they swivel their heads up to 270 degrees to see all around.

Males begin looking for a mate in December and January, and this activity makes them among the earliest nesters in Colorado; they hoot or call to find a mate. You can distinguish the female's call from the male's, because her call is slightly higher in pitch. Great Horned Owls are monogamous and a pair will produce one brood per year.

They are poor nest builders and will use abandoned nests from hawks, eagles, herons, crows or even the old leaf nests of squirrels. Nests can be up to 75 feet above the ground and could contain as many as six eggs. The parents will aggressively defend the nest and fledglings, even from people. The juveniles begin to fly after 10 to 12 weeks and look similar to adults. When fully grown, the males are smaller than the females

These beautiful and powerful birds are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it illegal to harm or kill any migrating bird species or interfere with nests or eggs. It also is illegal to own any part of a raptor unless specifically permitted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Broomfield values its diverse wildlife and anyone who happens to see nesting owls is encouraged give them space and peace.

If you have questions about coexisting with wildlife in Broomfield, contact the Broomfield volunteer wildlife masters at 303-464-5554 and leave a message for a prompt return call.