Best Time to See Great Horned Owls in the US
April, May and March is the best time to see great horned owls in the United States. This is a national picture built from 79,544 verified iNaturalist observations across 50 states, showing when and where great horned owls are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
79,544 verified observations of great horned owls in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When great horned owls are recorded in the US
Peak month
April
11,770 records (14.8% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 5,511 | 6.9% |
| February | 5,287 | 6.6% |
| Marchpeak | 7,710 | 9.7% |
| Aprilpeak | 11,770 | 14.8% |
| Maypeak | 10,316 | 13% |
| June | 7,103 | 8.9% |
| July | 6,297 | 7.9% |
| August | 5,899 | 7.4% |
| September | 5,796 | 7.3% |
| October | 5,032 | 6.3% |
| November | 4,215 | 5.3% |
| December | 4,608 | 5.8% |
Great Horned Owls you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Great Horned Owl | 69,820 |
Across the country, great horned owls sightings peak in April, when 11,770 of the 79,544 annual observations are logged, about 14.8% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through April, May and March.
The best states to see great horned owls by recorded sightings are California (26,152), Canada (9,724), Texas (6,391), Colorado (3,552) and Arizona (3,382). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The great horned owls you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Great Horned Owl, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see great horned owls
- great horned owls in California26,152 sightings, peak April
- great horned owls in Canada9,724 sightings, peak April
- great horned owls in Texas6,391 sightings, peak April
- great horned owls in Colorado3,552 sightings, peak May
- great horned owls in Arizona3,382 sightings, peak April
- great horned owls in Florida2,703 sightings, peak February
- great horned owls in Oregon2,113 sightings, peak May
- great horned owls in Washington1,950 sightings, peak May
- great horned owls in Illinois1,635 sightings, peak April
- great horned owls in New York1,439 sightings, peak April
- great horned owls in Utah1,351 sightings, peak May
- great horned owls in Idaho1,332 sightings, peak April
- great horned owls in Pennsylvania1,256 sightings, peak April
- great horned owls in Massachusetts1,227 sightings, peak April
- great horned owls in New Mexico1,127 sightings, peak April
Most-recorded great horned owls species nationwide
- Great Horned Owl69,820 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see great horned owls in the US?+
April is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through April, May and March, based on 79,544 verified observations across 50 states.
Which states are best for seeing great horned owls?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are California, Canada and Texas. California leads with 26,152 verified observations.
How many great horned owls sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 79,544 verified great horned owls observations are logged on iNaturalist across 50 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of great horned owls live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Great Horned Owl, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.