Great Horned Owl

Winky has called Randall Oaks Zoo his home since 2014. Just like all of our birds of prey here at the zoo, Winky was injured in the wild. If you look at him, you will see that he has a missing eye. Due to this injury, Winky was unable to be released back into the wild after he was rehabilitated. Winky is estimated to be almost 15 years old. Great horned owls have an average lifespan of 13 to 15 years in the wild and can live up to 30 years in human care.

Great horned owls are nocturnal creatures that are essential to our ecosystems. With their serrated feathers on their wings, this allows them to fly in silence which ultimately helps them surprise prey. They are unable to move their eyes to scan for prey. Instead, they can turn their heads up to 180 degrees to locate prey. Due to their poor sense of smell, these birds will prey upon skunks, rodents, and other small animals.