Great Horned Owls do not build nests. They will reuse another birds nest or use natural location such as cliffs. No new materials are added to the nest except for the feathers from the bird's breast. Clutch sizes for the Great Horned Owl vary from year to year. After the female lays her first egg she will start to incubate it.
Incubation lasts twenty-eight to thirty days.
The owls are born blind and are unable to hold their heads up. By the second week after hatching the owlets eyes open. Between the fourth and fifth week after hatching the owls are able to gain mobility and wander about of the nest. Between the sixth and eighth week, they are able to leave the nest. By five months the owls are able to live on their own.