Arizona · Year-round resident

Great Horned Owls in Arizona

When great horned owls are present in Arizona, when they nest, which native Arizona plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4b–10b yard.

Owls (Strigidae)Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus

Status in Arizona: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 4b–10b

When to expect great horned owls in Arizona

Great Horned Owls live in Arizona all year. Low deserts stay mild and host many wintering sparrows and hummingbirds; the high country gets snow. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Hot Sonoran and Mojave deserts in the south and west, with pine-oak sky islands and the Colorado Plateau rising above 7,000 ft.

Nesting in Arizona

Across Arizona, great horned owls typically nest from April. Plan around that window: March for setup, April for clean-out.

Summer highs above 110°F in Phoenix and Tucson make water the single strongest attractant; the July monsoon triggers a second breeding pulse.

Great Horned Owls don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as black cherry, american elderberry, chokecherry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after April.

Native Arizona plants that attract great horned owls

Of the regional native plants we track for Arizona, these 8 provide food or cover great horned owls use:

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Tall goldenrod

Solidago altissima · Perennial

Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Ponderosa pine

Pinus ponderosa · Tree

Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat.

Gambel oak

Quercus gambelii · Tree

Acorns for jays and woodpeckers across the southern Rockies.

Rabbitbrush

Ericameria nauseosa · Shrub

Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows.

Palo verde

Parkinsonia florida · Tree

Seed pods and insect-rich spring bloom.

Feeding great horned owls through the Arizona year

Top foods: None — hunts live prey after dark.
In Arizona's winter: Low deserts stay mild and host many wintering sparrows and hummingbirds; the high country gets snow.

Full diet breakdown for great horned owls · Best feeder for great horned owls

Frequently asked

Are great horned owls in Arizona year-round?

Yes. Great Horned Owls are year-round residents in Arizona.

When do great horned owls nest in Arizona?

Nesting in Arizona typically runs April, with 1 per season. Clutches are 1–4 eggs, incubated for 28–37 days.

What native plants attract great horned owls in Arizona?

Black cherry, American elderberry, Tall goldenrod, Chokecherry, Ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, Rabbitbrush, Palo verde are native plants in Arizona that provide food or cover for great horned owls.

Other backyard birds in Arizona

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Purple Martin Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren House Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Red-winged Blackbird Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay Mountain Chickadee Bushtit Juniper Titmouse Pygmy Nuthatch Anna's Hummingbird Black-chinned Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Costa's Hummingbird Lesser Goldfinch Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee Canyon Towhee Gambel's Quail Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe Black Phoebe Gila Woodpecker Ladder-backed Woodpecker Cactus Wren Curve-billed Thrasher Verdin Pyrrhuloxia Bewick's Wren White-crowned Sparrow Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove White-winged Dove Inca Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Wild Turkey Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Red Crossbill Gray Catbird Western Tanager Hooded Oriole Phainopepla Black-throated Sparrow Lark Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Pinyon Jay Western Screech-Owl Hooded Merganser Band-tailed Pigeon Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Warbling Vireo Western Kingbird Vermilion Flycatcher Ash-throated Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Barn Owl Burrowing Owl Lewis's Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Horned Lark Blue Grosbeak Varied Bunting Cactus Wren Greater Roadrunner Yellow-billed Cuckoo Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.