They hunt mostly between dusk and dawn, with their night vision and acute hearing being assets to their hunting success. Also, like other owls, the great horned can fly in total silence, because of specializations of their flight feathers. As well as being a silent hunter, this owl is swift, and its talons are effective weapons. It swallows small prey whole, but larger prey are first dismembered. One or more of these may be disgorged daily, depending upon the volume and type of food eaten.
Scientists learn about the eating habits of owls by identifying the remains of prey in such pellets.
Under a tree near the Secret Garden, I picked up several pellets, which Lauren had heard about but had not looked for. She found all this quite fascinating, especially to have it happening so close to their home and shop. One species of bird that doesn't receive mention in the literature as being preyed upon by great horned owls is the great blue heron, although I'm pretty sure that a few get picked off here and there, especially following their nesting season. Great blues nest in colonies or rookeries, where there are numerous nests in one tree or a group of trees, probably presenting a challenging image to a great horned owl looking for an easy catch. Besides, herons, with their long, sharp bills that are adapted to spearing fish, could do some damage to an owl.