A great horned owl evicting a raccoon from the owl nest

We've wondered what would happen if a great horned owl were to encounter a raccoon up in the owl nest (it can be a busy spot: texasbackyardwildlife.com/a-b...) and now we know.
A couple of the raccoons are in the habit of climbing up to the nest to play and snooze and look at the view, and now that the great horned owls are visiting again it seemed only a matter of time until they overlapped. Turns out great horned owls don't have much of a sense of humor when it comes to tolerating interlopers in their space.
A little raccoon was up in the nest a few nights ago, just minding her own business, and one of the owls saw her, and was not amused. The owl flew in at warp speed and nailed the poor raccoon in the butt with his talons. The raccoon got an awful shock - I think quite literally didn’t know what had hit her. Owls fly silently and this owl was travelling so fast he was just a blur. The raccoon cowered there in the nest for about 15 more seconds and then decided to get the hell out. As she turned her back to begin the climb down the tree the owl hit her again - this time so hard it shook the nest.
We were worried that the raccoon might fall but she didn't. She was fine - shaken, and probably quite sore - but otherwise unharmed. The owl nest is 30 ft up in a big live oak tree and falling would be disastrous, but even in her panic the little raccoon was able to get down again safely. And she was back the following night, so perhaps raccoons are not as smart as I like to think they are.
PS: Many people have noticed that there are what look like glowing eyes behind the nest. They are actually lighted radio towers, way off on the horizon.
For more great critter videos and photos please visit texasbackyardwildlife.com.
#greathornedowl #texaswildlife #backyardwildlife

[@johnnyfavorite1194]

Racoon🦝: What the hell was that?! Owl🦉: Not what.... Who.

[@McD5791]

I see what you did there... 😉

[@robertrobertson2117]

You win 🤣😂🤣

[@commentorrlsv2707]

.....spiderman reference?

[@dimensionexo.]

😹.

[@IceWataJ3]

🤣🤣

[@BrentMinder]

The owl's plumage is perfectly camouflaged with the surrounding tree bark.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Yes. He does an excellent job of blending in.

[@sbomorse]

I was struck by that too

[@gordongonegolfing7129]

Owl, what owl. I couldn’t see an owl 😂👍

[@LeafInTheStream]

The plumage don't enter into it!

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

@@LeafInTheStream My all-time favorite Monty Python skit! "Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, init?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIvaZGiMiqeXsNE

[@Bornjamerican24]

"You ain't gotta go home, but you gotta get the F outta here..." ~Owl

[@bluecollarcanuck]

"Hippity Hoppitest, get yer fat arse outta my nest" :D

[@dawidek8237]

hubbada

[@Imaraabeson]

🤣🤣🤣

[@ethelwulfmountbattenderoth2286]

Yeah, this is Owl 101. This is their thing. See at night and maneuver through dense forest without a sound. That Raccoon didn't know what hit it. First hit was, "WTF was that?" Second hit was sheer panic.

[@tonygallo2361]

lol

[@kingpingfhdf1117]

i had the same reactions when dad use to show me his wiener

[@Andrew_M_Ward]

Those rounded wings make night flight perfectly silent... that Raccoon was doomed from the start

[@ps3shakes123]

My pup and I were stalked in broad daylight by two great horned owls. Pretty nerve-racking for me, the dog was oblivious.

[@razony]

Spot on. WTF was that! Then like a A-10 coming in for a strife and BAM, He is Audi of here. Love it!

[@BellefontePerson]

That raccoon just wanted to ask Mr. Owl how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop. Mr. Owl says: "Two, now get out!"

[@miinthestringbiinrey23]

Ooohhh I loved that commercial Also, very clever of you

[@donaldstanfield8862]

BAHAHAHAAH!! Good point!

[@axe2grind772]

The world may never know......

[@oceanview2965]

😅🤣😂

[@anniegreenwind971]

The owl says: “ whoooo knoooows?”

[@katemoon7476]

First strike: What was that? Am I imagining things? Second strike: I'm out of here!

[@villcat9750]

😂 you're very accurate in your depiction.

[@deadtreebark]

That racoon was just admiring the craftsmanship of the nest

[@austinsears4780]

"Is this mahogany?"

[@mso2013]

Totaly not looking for eggs no-no.

[@thetwoboyos8366]

Aye.. a connoisseur in the fine art of nest building🦝

[@ericmaloney3889]

@@mso2013 - They'd eat the owl also if they caught it off guard. Trapped and killed 18 of those little a-holes on my farm after they broke in to my chicken coop.

[@jaimee8355]

Looking for eggs

[@Raynsideways]

It's really kind of amazing seeing how the owl treats the encounter. It doesn't land in the nest and aggressively attack the raccoon; birds are delicate, even a small injury could be fatal. So to minimize risk of injury, its strategy is high speed, maximum impact, but minimal contact. You can see here, it's just a blur, and its contact with the raccoon is a fraction of a second, but at that speed, that's enough to do the job. No sticking around, no wrestling, just SLAM and gone. Efficiency in action.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

That's all very true. Another commenter noted that the owl was careful to hit the raccoon when her back was turned, so the raccoon didn't even have a chance to try to defend herself. She may never have seen what hit her. It was a very carefully calibrated attack.

[@julialucas4828]

I have read accounts of birds of prey, particularly Cooper's Hawks, getting killed by mammalian prey. One female Coops tried to get a squirrel and it cut open her jugular. It's not always easy being a predator!

[@mjade1673]

😄Funny i thought of it as pity on on the raccoon

[@frankmorse7929]

Pity. Lol. The owl attacked it in a manner that gave the owl least resistance. If a good sized raccoon like that ever got a hold of that owl it could have been disastrous for the owl.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

​@@frankmorse7929That's debatable given the massive talons of the GHOW. Plus their hearing is so exceptional they are incredibly hard to sneak up on night when racoons are usually active.

[@lQuadXl]

*This is where the "Ow" in Owl brings its painful claws to the Raccoon.*

[@donaldstanfield8862]

✔

[@sbomorse]

That camouflage is amazing! The speed with which he hits the racoon is surprising, it's like a stealth bomber.

[@exterminator4808]

Better than a stealth bomber because the owl actually is capable of perfectly silent flight. No noise because of its wing flapping.

[@ChiquitaSpeaks]

It’s always justified with nature but never in the human world where we’re not nature...supposedly for some reason

[@Okrollins1]

Yeah, they make the least amount of noise when flying than any other birds. So that old boy never heard him coming. Hahaha!

[@Okrollins1]

And if he don't watch that old boy can become coon stakes.

[@acediadekay3793]

@@exterminator4808 The Russian night witches stealth bombers would shut of their engines before attacking in the cover of the night doing WW2, and they was considered extremely successful.

[@dragonluvver975]

I love the polite pauses whenever the owl hoo's so we can hear it

[@Stellra52]

Yes, thank you for not speaking over the owl. ❤

[@surlybear7907]

Yup... just like Grandma always said “Everyone’s a raccoon, till an owl shows up!”

[@ariloves10]

God bless your Gramma. Words of wisdom!

[@hannibalburgers477]

Wiser words have never been told

[@Dark-Avennger]

Then you’re dinner

[@nataliecardenas4601]

I love this

[@nataliecardenas4601]

My first time hearing this and the only reason I’m here is because I was trying to find out a noise in my backyard and it was owl and it brought me here🍀 aren’t grandmas the best ❤️❤️

[@saneyoungpoot7795]

From the racoon's second reaction, it looks like the owl probably pierced its hide and made it go "ouch"

[@corbeau-_-]

first time it might have figured it was something else, a coincidence, whatever. "What in the world?" 2nd time made it pretty clear it was precision bombing, best not wait for the third strike. Probably still didn't know what hit him, but it must have been intentional xD

[@richardsandoval2899]

I noticed that also. It seemed to pierce the flesh on the second contact

[@goognamgoognw6637]

Commenter as so fucking stupid here. The racoon's hide already was pierced the first time, just watch his eyes blinkering in pain and the body language. The racoon isn't asking itself any question IT KNOWS THAT WAS THE OWL FROM THE FIRST HIT.

[@goognamgoognw6637]

@Shay Ogun just look at its squinting and quickly strobing its eyes just after being pierced by 2 sets of 3 extremely sharp claws. This is pangs of pain. Don't assume you will see a human reaction to pain, this is an animal.

[@goognamgoognw6637]

@Shay Ogun Nah, you need to watch more gory animal videos with predator killing prey, the reactions are not what you expect. The racoon is in deep pain for a few seconds but knows the attack was airborne . If his foe was a four legged animal in front of him ready to delivery another attack you'd see the raccoon reacting much more vividly.

[@Robert111]

That racoon was luck Mr. Owl didn't give him more than a warning. Damn that was high speed.

[@jonduggan7433]

Raccoon was damned lucky the Owl didn't eat him for lunch. Owls eat rabbits even skunks.

[@thaddaeusjones3497]

Owl wouldnt risk Injury with something like a raccoon. Plenty of rats and mice around, why risk it?

[@donaldstanfield8862]

That first was a friendly warning, the second much more businesslike!

[@christopherblack7342]

@@jonduggan7433 we had a red screech. Blew my mind one day when after killing a rabbit near the road he then after 2 or 3 attempts actually got airborne with his prize. 4 babies then ate like kings!

[@denierbud]

First 45 seconds is maybe the most amazing image I've ever seen on youtube. Watched in 1080p. It looked like a painting, but it was moving. It's camouflage, but it's more, various colors and textures of the owl, compared to the wood. Dried needles in foreground matching the wing. Can't get over it! The reds on the owl and the reds in the wood.

[@sloburnjo]

Simply stunning

[@sbomorse]

I couldn't believe how well camouflaged he was!

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Your comment encouraged us to look at this video again and you're right. The male owl is almost posing for us - looking right at the camera - and the texture and color of his plumage, seen against the live oak bark and nesting material, is really striking. It's as if they were drawn by the same hand. We have some great daytime footage of the owls on this nest and also in a tree down by the creek: texasbackyardwildlife.com/great-horned-owls/.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Here's another video with colors that might have been chosen by an artist: texasbackyardwildlife.com/a-snoozing-fox-meets-a-plucky-little-titmouse/. The fox and the titmouse match - gray, golden orange, cream. I think it's extraordinary. Plus, it's a bizarre little story.

[@bluenetmarketing]

@@TexasBackyardWildlife They were drawn by the same hand: the Good Lord's hand.

[@houseofno]

For an animal known to rummage through garbage, that Raccoon grew a brain cell or two and wisely elected not to stick around after that second warning.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Raccoons are probably our smartest wildlife neighbors. They're curious, and very quick learners. We are constantly amazed and amused by them (though they stole my shoes off the porch last night and left them in out the backyard so they're currently not on my Christmas list).

[@Zikar]

Realising humans leave free food lying outside in easily openable containers unguarded and systematically exploiting that so they get more food for way less work is pretty intelligent.

[@jonquilcat7945]

@@TexasBackyardWildlife haha that's adorable.

[@Deadbeatcow]

@Snuff why are you so hostile

[@showoffsid3271]

If you’re implying that raccoons are dumb, you are sadly mistaken.

[@rinsecycle]

For those who don’t know, the raccoon is a nest robber. He’s up there, looking for eggs, and then he decides to chill for a while. Many have noted correctly that the owl, and any bird for that matter, does not intend to fight unless it has to. Flying in, and scratching animals to displace them is the goal. Then they wait to see if the animal intruder will go away.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

The owl wasn't actually nesting on the platform, but it seems he didn't want anyone else getting too cozy there. We built the platform in the hope that a pair of owls would lay eggs and bring up chicks, but no one ever has. The raccoons use the platform all the time - they climb up and just hang out there - as far as they're concerned, it's theirs. Last thing - great horned owls begin incubating as soon as they've laid their first egg and they rarely leave their eggs alone for more than a couple of minutes. They guard their eggs very effectively and it would be tough for a raccoon to snag one.

[@ScottH22175]

Another fun fact... Great Horned Owls have been known to prey on racoons.

[@Mdeaccosta]

Fun fact: I had one hit the back of my head when I was jogging at night. It ripped out hair and scratched my scalp bloody. I saw it sail away with long hair in its claws. I can testify what the racoon felt: BAM, RIP.​@scotthespelt6832

[@cferguson2453]

Thanks - I was wondering if the racoon got away with any owl eggs.- glad that was NOT the case! @@TexasBackyardWildlife

[@sylon7717]

@@Mdeaccostayes they are very powerful. That was probably just a warning too

[@smcneal057]

When you're squatting on someone else's nest, and not paying rent you gotta go....

[@macmac8249]

You mean like the exes lazy, good-for-nothing new boyfriend?

[@danielleking262]

*Billy:* Mr. Owl, how many strikes does it take to kick a raccoon out of your nest? *Owl:* Just two, Billy. Just two.

[@Wulfrune]

What an absolutely beautiful bird, I do love owls so much.

[@w.harrison7277]

Yes! I never saw an Owl that wasn't beautiful.

[@hey-gp6ni]

I agree wholeheartedly. Not a single bad owl breed in the bunch.

[@darylcheshire1618]

I liked how the racoon had a worried look in his eyes. The mask probably exaggerates the anxiety look.

[@sylon7717]

😂

[@claymac7895]

It’s amazing how well his colors match those of the nest. Almost like a chameleon where his body adapts to match its surroundings.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

I know, Clay. He's almost invisible, isn't he?

[@GrnXnham]

Having had the experience of being attacked by an owl when I was too close to the nest, I will testify that they hit HARD! I guarantee you that the raccoon remembered that attack.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Ouch. The raccoon was lucky she wasn't knocked clear off the nest - and she got hit twice!

[@JitinMisra]

Where was this nest ? Were you out in the woods ?

[@moojuice369]

“ this is owl flight 101 on mission. Auto targeting engaged and green lit. Commencing run. I have a confirmed hit, repeat confirmed hit. Target is still viable. Returning for secondary run. Confirmed hit . Scratch one raccoon.”

[@davidvondusseldorf1208]

Owls are incredible

[@batmandeltaforce]

Still hunting, I walked to within 8 feet of one, I swear he was 24" head to tail. He was in a pine just above my head. He had talons at least 1" long. It was obviously asleep. I used the strap on my deer rifle to make a squeaking sound to attract its attention. It turned its head all the way around to look at me, and started to walk down the limb toward me. I got frightened and finally moved. It took a couple of flaps, and glided off into the fog. Amazing experience.

[@ariloves10]

Wow!

[@bobharritech8460]

Years ago I was hunting, moving through the woods in full camoflage. The only things exposed were my eyes through the mask. Out of nowhere a barn owl lands like ten feet from me and just stares at me. I was in shock, couldn't believe this. For about 30 seconds we just stared at each other. I think he couldn't figure out what I was. He then takes off but lands on another branch, in back of a tree, hidden from view. Then the little dude leans over past the tree and is still looking at me. I see this little head with big eyes, checking me out. A few moments later he takes off for good, but it was hilarious to think he just couldn't wrap his head around what he was looking at.

[@AlphaQHard]

@@bobharritech8460 “I fucking knew it. These trees are alive”

[@chookinathunderstorm3446]

@@bobharritech8460 Glad you weren't like some, so called hunters, that are just very basic beings who blast every creature they see then brag about their imagined 'superiority'.

[@redpilledkrug7425]

@@chookinathunderstorm3446 when has this ever happened? Oh wait it's just a stereotype being projected. You hunt what you are hunting for mot gunning down every thing that moves. Clearly you don't know what your talking about

[@QUEENBEE200384]

It’s crazy that Great Horned Owls are in most of our neighborhoods and yards yet their rarely seen. They’re camouflage and ability to stay still is amazing, blends right into the tree. I use night vision and make hooting sounds to see them at night. My neighbors probably think I’m nuts.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

So the owls respond when you hoot at them? That's really interesting. We've never tried it. If the owls are answering you, you must be pretty convincing and your neighbors probably think you're an owl.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Their* (they're = they are) camouflage and ability to stay still are* amazing.

[@stephaniecastillo4851]

I hoot at the great horned owls in our neighborhood & they hoot back! My husband thought I was nuts until he heard them answer me

[@Matterhorny]

@@einundsiebenziger5488failed on both their and they’re 👍👍

[@Don_ECHOguy]

This owl was like the A-10 thunderbolt in the bird world... beautiful looking owl.

[@csilt]

More like an F22 Raptor

[@wtfskilz]

It took two passes, because the first one left the raccoon completely confused, and after the second pass the raccoon gave up on figuring out the mystery and just took off.

[@mmdirtyworkz]

Thank you Captain Obvious!

[@agentgrey5696]

@@mmdirtyworkz stfu

[@mmdirtyworkz]

@@agentgrey5696 Hey man, calm your tits! :*

[@sylon7717]

Owls have special tips on their feathers that make them silent when they fly. Raccoon was very confused yes.

[@Kadd69]

Raccoon: Its free real estate Owl: NOT ON MY WATCH

[@jamesd2128]

A couple of perfectly timed strafing runs by the Great Horned Owl model of the A-10.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Yep. That owl certainly knows how to fly.

[@jrsmith3344]

BRRRRRPP!!

[@jimmyrustler9980]

If that owl was the bird equivalent of an A-10, that coon would be red pulp.

[@jamesd2128]

@@jimmyrustler9980 Ya got a point !

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

The equivalent of firing bean bags...(Yet still an escalation in tensions.)

[@Simon_Sez]

I feel like I’ve been hearing these guys more and more near my house. Maybe I’ve just been more observant of them, but I still rarely actually see them. Very cool animals.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

We haven't heard any hooting so far this year, but the owls are definitely around - I saw one this morning when I went to clean one of the water bowls. We're looking forward to hearing them again.

[@shirleyjhaney1041]

I love how the owl saved his damn energy by not fighting with the raccoon but instead scaring it first and then scaring it a little harder. ❤

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

The owl probably wouldn't risk fighting a big raccoon - an injured raccoon can recover but an injured owl, if he can't fly, is in serious trouble, and this raccoon will have out-weighed the owl by quite a lot. Also, the owl was just being cranky - he wasn't actually using the nest, he just didn't want anyone else to enjoy it.

[@Descalabro]

I really like how the narrator is quiet each time the owl makes its sound.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Thank you. We try to let the owls speak too, it's their video.

[@FF04RDF]

Beautiful camouflage against the tree bark. Stunning bird.

[@zkxb]

Raccoon gets clipped by sharp talons : "OUCH ! Owl be leaving now !!"

[@orbs1062]

Legend has it, every time they raccoon drinks from the pond, he leaks like a sieve.

[@ellobo1326]

Their feathering is absolutely gorgeous !

[@braveneikonic2231]

Racoon: Nice pad. Owl: So, you have chosen death.

[@Ry_Guy]

😂

[@MrR2185]

LOL

[@vikramad36]

You think that owl can kill that raccoon. No way! Maybe a harpy eagle can.

[@conformistbastard9842]

@@vikramad36 it was a joke meme, Mr. Hitler.

[@renemejias2986]

Thats what we call getting rekt! That owl is a badass for sure.

[@tomitstube]

raccoon, "there's monsters under this bed!"

[@cynthiakeller5954]

This made me laugh!

[@ShakespeareCafe]

Owl has razor sharp toes. That raccoon won’t soon forget that

[@peterjongsma2779]

Your cinematography is stunning. I'm amazed that Raccoon stayed around for a second helping of those Owl talons. Must have the hide of a Rhinoceros.

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

He just got fisted. (Ok I did not mean for that to sound dirty.)

[@itsthesmallhats]

the raccoon to this day still thinks the air just up and attacked him.

[@BST-lm4po]

That Raccoon was like; .."What the hell was that!?... There it is again! ...This place is freaking haunted!! I'm getting the hell out of here!" Lol!

[@chrismc.4437]

Certainly left him feeling haunted

[@stepaushi]

Raccoons aren't that stupid.

[@itsthesmallhats]

@@stepaushi no, but you are.

[@vizagothx7294]

good for the owl! i had raccoons squatting in my attic and they caused all kinds of damage..

[@DrJohn493]

Same thing happened here! Thanks to neighbors that were feeding the racoons without our knowledge.

[@kookamunga2458]

Put a getto blaster in your attic and play that crapy millennial music . Apparently racoons don't like loud noises .

[@cynthiakeller5954]

I have black snakes in my attic. Nothing dares to live up there.

[@romulus_]

@U Betcha birds aren't sensitive to capsaicin

[@davyt1090]

Absolutely stunning bird , after that second strike he couldnt get out of there fast enough

[@jmnimahelr]

Gives a whole new meaning to "let me tap that!" Hope the owl couple had a good winter.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

They didn't stay with us, sadly. They chose to nest elsewhere. But we had a lot of fun watching them while they were test-driving our nest.

[@Gravitycreatedlife]

@@TexasBackyardWildlife maybe if you didn't illuminate the nest at night they would have stuck around.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

@@Gravitycreatedlife We don't illuminate the nest. We use infrared cameras - they can essentially see in the dark. You can tell when the video has switched to infrared because it goes from color to black & white.

[@asmodeus1274]

@@TexasBackyardWildlife Where in TX do you live? General area...

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

@@asmodeus1274 We live in south-west Austin. Near Oak Hill. It seems surprising to have this much wildlife activity within the city limits, but it's amazing what you see when you put out some cameras.

[@mysteryyy7987]

raccoon thought he was seeing ghosts

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Yes! The owl was blindingly fast and completely silent. I think the raccoon quite literally didn't know what hit it.

[@Funsoul8]

Isn’t it beautiful how God makes their feathers blend right into the woods.❤

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Well, possibly evolution had something to do with it, but we agree that there's some pretty neat camouflaging going on here.

[@Z7Sakari]

“And he comes in his... female mate” As one does.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Oops. I guess that should have been obvious.

[@Z7Sakari]

I think we all appreciated it 😉

[@xygnusx5067]

He is gorgeous!

[@marcfitzhenry7581]

what awesome footage!!

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Thank you!

[@mitche5007]

Beautiful bird, amazing to watch😊

[@ANieves3873]

Like a stealth jet fighter.

[@marcjay077]

The scariest part for the raccoon is not being able to hear nor see the owl!

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Yes. The poor raccoon had no clue. The owl swooped in silently and probably flew off at about 100 mph.

[@hellboy6661234]

the racoon was gonna eat babies and youre worried about it?

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

@@hellboy6661234 The raccoon was just hanging out. He had no idea owls were considering nesting there - he was just enjoying the view. If the owls do ever actually lay eggs in this nest we can easily isolate the tree so raccoons and ringtails can't reach it.

[@MikeNaples]

Nature created owls to be stealth, even in flight. A rodent will not even hear the wind turbulence from a barn owl's wings as death approaches him.

[@grateful1929]

I don't ever get to see anything like this. Thank you so much! Nature is wonderful!

[@thewolf7119]

The owl literally just kicked that raccoons ass!

[@4exgold]

beautiful owl

[@starpawsy]

Wow, that cryptic plumage is absoltuely brilliant camouflage. One of the best Ive seen.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Isn't it astonishing? The owls almost disappear into the background.

[@starpawsy]

@@TexasBackyardWildlife If you ever come visit us in Australia, I will show you (well try to show you) a Tawny Frogmouth. It might not look any more cryptic than your owl, but a Frogmouth will sit on the end of a dead branch and .... simply disappear. You can look RIGHT AT IT and not see it.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Wow. I'll have to take a look online. I was brought up in NZ, and we have lots of beautiful and fascinating birds, but nothing, I think, like your frogmouth. Australia is packed with unique and bizarre wildlife.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

This video has a nice - though brief - segment showing a tawny frogmouth transforming itself into the end of a branch. Amazing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJTMZJekj7WJnMk

[@carmenmartinez2882]

I have a couple living around my home, I hear them every night.

[@johnwilliams-pq4jp]

When an owl flys it makes no sound. Of a night they even take on Eagles.

[@tehscope9422]

I always thought the " Horns " look like a Doberman's ears . The Great Eared Owl , just my 6 cents worth , ah Canadian money .

[@rebeltvr6046]

6 CAD cents = 4.69 US cents.

[@santyclause8034]

Dobermans are lop-eared dogs, to make their ears stand you'd have to saw 'em and prop up the tattered earflap bits with gaffa tape, gum and ice cream sticks, until the starch sets.

[@tehscope9422]

@@santyclause8034 I hate what they do to those dogs , it's people vanity and I don't approve of pure breeds all that inbreeding

[@voightkampffchamp]

Both horns and ears are inaccurate s it’s a wash?

[@catsplat1272]

​@@tehscope9422 They need to ban docking and cropping in the US for sure. EU has already banned docking. "Oh no my doberman isn't intimidating enough as it is, guess I better mutilate it to scare people." Or making corgi dogs cuter by chopping their tails off. Wtf?

[@JoeR203]

Raccoon never saw his attacker. He probably thought the nest was haunted.

[@beakittelscherz5419]

Wow. Didn´t expect the Owl so hefty impact like an arrow . Awesome

[@wassupdoc2780]

Funny as hell at the end. Owl attacks from behind and raccoon says hey who's putting a claw up my ass! Wtf lemme outa here! Exit! Stage left!

[@coolbreeze2.0-mortemadfasc13]

🤣🤣🤣

[@GuadalupeGuacamole]

Raccoon: MINE! Owls: First notice...then eviction notice. 🤣

[@feynthefallen]

Can't get over how much they sound like pigeons...

[@Legacy_125]

He is camouflaged perfectly in this nest.

[@billclinton6040]

We have a resident owl behind my house because I hear him at night, just never seen him. However, I am not too surprised because the creek behind my house is filled with all kinds of small woodland creatures from mice, squirrels, rabbits, possums, armadillos, snakes, deer, raccoons, and probably foxes too (I've just never seen those).

[@je5485]

You need a camera with night mode option like this guy.

[@marcouellette4671]

Such amazing creatures!

[@zoonie96]

The silence of an Owl is one of the evolutionary traits that is impressive and I believe in ratio to size it’s like a truck hitting a 🦟!

[@BigMacOrange]

That raccoon was like WTF was that?

[@eightinches6094]

I just put up an owl box a few days ago on a 20 ft. post and that's my fear, the box being taken over by a freakin' raccoon. It would be my luck.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

If it's a screech owl box, and the opening is the standard 3" diameter, it's too small for a raccoon to get in. Raccoons can reach in, though, so you want to make sure the bottom of the box is more than a raccoon's arm-length lower than the doorway (about 11" should be OK, unless you have raccoons with very long arms).

[@eightinches6094]

@@TexasBackyardWildlife .....I designed it for a barn owl, hole is about 7" in diameter, maybe a small raccoon could get in who knows. I hope a barn owl moves in first.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

@@eightinches6094 A raccoon can definitely get in a 7" hole. We have a raccoon right now asleep in a box with a 5" hole - they're big and fluffy, but they seem to squish down to nothing when they want to. One thing you could try is wrapping the box's post in metal flashing so raccoons and ringtails can't climb it. We do that with a lot of our bird boxes. It also stops snakes (we had a snake in a box of baby chickadees once and we learned our lesson - thank god we saw it in time and got it out; we saved all but one of the baby birds).

[@eightinches6094]

@Marvin Martian ....yeah I was thinking of doing that, like a skirt. Thanks.

[@rickyhuff]

Every now and then we have an owl appear out in our trees a few hours after sundown. When he/she give out its calls, it makes for such an incredibly serene moment.

[@Band-lz5gb]

The camouflage is amazing!

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Yes! Isn't it?

[@robdog7516]

The Air Force of the forest has let the residents know that they won’t put up with and thieves wearing eye masks.

[@christensolomon3679]

Raccoon: hmmm what do we have here?... Owl @ 1:40 : ZOOMMM Raccoon: WTF was that?!?!? Iight imma head out...

[@AmedzTraveller]

Numismatics

[@rtuggle82]

This owl is so beautiful. 😍 Also he’s the Flash.

[@AishawithanEye]

That was really exciting to watch. Thanks for narrating! I was looking in the right places at the right time!

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Thanks Aisha. Nice to hear from you again.

[@Catnipfumar]

When the owl is trying to tell the raccoon that he took his air BnB off line, but the raccoon still won't leave. 😹 Edit: P. S. I should have said NnB Nest n Breakfast 😹(to much human catnip if you know what I mean😉gotta live the legal states. 😙💨🌿.

[@lydiapetra1211]

Great comment 🙋😹😸

[@Catnipfumar]

@@lydiapetra1211 thanks😹

[@guadacoma]

We have an Owl in my back yard and it is always stealing my dogs fuzzy animal shaped toys. We have them hanging in the tree branches around the house.

[@deeperpurposelive]

🦉💃 It's a ballet in the sky. Every move is so graceful and precise. The owl seems to have its own rhythm, almost like it's dancing to a carefully choreographed routine!

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Almost all of the animals we watch here are exponentially more graceful than we humans. Skunks are the exception. They kind of waddle, bless their little hearts.

[@michaeljoseph7951]

This was the best most informational video I've ever seen. I'm blown away.. Thks

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Again, thank you!!

[@Knapweed]

The owl's camouflage is amazing. That racoon was lucky, the owl could have snapped his spine in a heartbeat had he tried.

[@dimensionexo.]

Or carried it a thousand feet in the air and dropped.

[@freso-cool]

Did anyone notice the firefly??

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Center of the picture, right above the raccoon?

[@jeffreyhurst7231]

I thought it was the owl's eyes glowing at first.

[@brianerickson8204]

Beautiful, the camouflage blend is amazing!

[@pathader4839]

Here's your hat what's your hurry?😂

[@preciousmetalhead5155]

Only in 2021 would you need to clarify he has a “female” mate.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Did we do that? I think we were probably safe to assume that a male great horned owl had a female mate - no excessive political correctness intended. We have read some interesting things about penguins though...

[@preciousmetalhead5155]

@@TexasBackyardWildlife lol. I didn’t think you had. Great video btw. Now I’m off to google homosexual penguins.

[@josephalvaro5244]

Awesome footage!Thanks for sharing.

[@stefaniaslovat]

That owl is so beautiful. A real wonder. With that perfectly camouflaged coat…

[@shanetography]

Owls are beautiful and fascinating animals!

[@richardcosta3504]

Great Horned Owls = the flying tigers of the nighttime forest.

[@WildWoodlandsSW]

Owls soft downy feathers makes them silent flyers,so this raccoon had no idea until it felt those sharp talons in its back. Great footage.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

True. The owls are silent. I don't think the owl really hurt the raccoon - he just wanted to frighten him off, he didn't want to risk a fight (lucky for the raccoon).

[@DavidBadilloMusic]

What a gorgeous creature!

[@corgraveland4874]

Excellent timing and approach. Impressive. The first time the raccoon was like WTF was that? The second that it was more of get the hell out of Dodge.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Thank you. We will pass your praise re. the timing and approach on to the owl. He will be pleased.

[@SiLoMixMaster]

That racoon had the fear of God put into it when the owl's talons penetrated it's back

[@reachandler3655]

He's beautiful!

[@HopPlayExplore]

Ha ha . That's what he gets. "Stay out of my house." says the owl

[@mjeansz]

Absolutely love the "whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-whoo." ❤

[@charlesming7875]

The understated narration belies the “Oh Fuck. What was that!?” moment.

[@TexasBackyardWildlife]

Dan is a very understated kind of guy.