A pair of Great Horned Owls and their two owlets are nesting, readily visible to visitors, high in a eucalyptus tree near the swimming lagoon at Santa Rosa's Spring Lake Park.
The owlets, three to four weeks old, are often seen peering from their nest, with at least one parent watching them closely from a nearby perch, said Indio Coffelt, a naturalist at the park's Environmental Discovery Center.
The adults appear to be the same couple that nested nearby in the park last year, Coffelt said, noting that couples come together to nest in a given area for eight years at a time but spend the rest of the year living apart.
Great Horned Owls, named for the feather tufts on their head, are up to 25 inches long and are found in diverse environments throughout North and South America. Owlets typically leave the nest at about 10 weeks old.
- Guy Kovner
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