Live OwlCam

You are currently viewing the nest of two Great Horned Owls, “Harold” and “Maude” and their owlets, "Hedwig" and "Errol", located at NCAR in Boulder, Colorado. We had the pleasure of watching the owl family for twelve weeks during the spring of 2008 (February 18 - May 9). The owlets fledged the week of May 5, 2008. The owl family continues to reside in the area.

More about our Great Horned Owls

The bird is one of the most common owls in North America, found everywhere from tundra to desert to rainforest. Known for its prominent ear tufts, the owl’s wingspan measures about 40-57 inches (101-145 centimeters). They nest early, laying eggs in January or February through April. Both the male and female incubate eggs for 30-35 days.

Owls often take over a nest used by some other large bird, sometimes adding feathers to line the nest but usually not much more. This owl couple took over our ravens’ nest from last year around February 18, 2008. These owls have not been the only squatters of the nest. During the summer of 2007, we had a family of sparrows who lived within the sides of the large nest.

The ravens have not been pleased with their living situation – occasionally circling the area, trying to reoccupy their home. The two owls are unconcerned with the ravens’ menacing behavior,and fiercely defend their 'new' nest.

Brooding is almost continuous until the offspring are about 2 weeks old, after which it decreases. Young owls move onto nearby branches at 6 weeks and start to fly about a week later. All adult Great Horned Owls are permanent residents of their territories.

Visit often to follow the progression of the owlets!

We would like to thank photographers David Waltman, Lorena Kauffman and Carlye Calvin for the use of their photos.

 

Update, May 12th 2008

Hedwig and Errol have both left the nest. We received numerous emails from people who were watching Errol at 8:30 pm on Friday evening, May 9th. He hopped back and forth for a while, then took off. He and Maude have both been spotted in the trees nearby (Photo at right: Errol in a nearby tree on May 11th.). She'll continue looking after them for some time.

It's likely they'll be floundering for a while--possibly seen on the ground or in other strange places. This is not unusual. Mom is keeping an eye on them and normally calls to encourage them to come back into the trees. (Photo at right: Errol at the NCAR loading dock - May 12 2008; photo by Walter Hodshon.) If you spot them, please give them plenty of space and quiet so Mom can do her job. If you do see one that looks injured, please call 303.497.8422 and one of us will contact Birds of Prey Rehabilitation for advice.

Other Updates

Update, May 8th 2008: Hedwig, the older of the two owlets, fledged this morning. No one saw him leave, and he may not return to the nest, but he has been spotted perching in a tree nearby. Errol will likely be gone in a day or two. Their mother, Maude, has been spotted watching over the nest from a tree over the nearby creek.

April 17th 2008: Harold and Maude are doing well. They were spotted in a neighborhood tree recently (photo at right courtesy of Lorena Kauffman). Harold has been vigilantly defending the territory against intruders. A great horned owl carcass was found nearby a couple of weeks ago — likely Harold's work. He can be seen circling periodically throughout the day. Hedwig probably hatched around March 25, and little Errol a few days later. This gives you an idea of how quickly they grow. Maude is careful to feed them both, so Errol is keeping up fine. We're told they'll fly about seven weeks from hatching. There's a good chance that Harold and Maude will return next year.