What the sources say
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
Every figure, record and mechanism on the Great Horned Owl profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 6 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.
Profile updated
Source
01
Artuso et al. 2020
Artuso et al. (2020). Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). Birds of the World.
- The page saysTalons that take a force of 13 kg to open, strong enough to sever the spinal column of prey larger than itself.
- The source says
Its strong talons, which take a force of 13 kg to open, allow it to sever the spinal column of prey even larger than itself.
Note: stats.superpower, settled in #241. Replaces the unsourced '300+ PSI talons capable of severing the spine of large prey', a grip figure that was the only support for the super-bite-force tag. The 'zero sense of smell' clause had no cached source and was cut. - The page saysIts talons take a force of 13 kg to open, and can sever the spinal column of prey larger than itself.
- The source says
Its strong talons, which take a force of 13 kg to open, allow it to sever the spinal column of prey even larger than itself.
Note: Fun Facts; replaces 'over 300 pounds per square inch of crushing force' (#241) - The page saysexceptionally soft feathers insulate it and allow for silent flight
- The source says
Its feathers are exceptionally soft, providing superb insulation and allowing for silent flight.
Note: vibe.reason (women artists) - The page saysits talons take a force of 13 kg to open
- The source says
Its strong talons, which take a force of 13 kg to open
Note: vibe.reason (women artists)
Source
02
Hinterland Who's Who, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Canadian Wildlife Federation 1991
Great Horned Owl. Hinterland Who's Who, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Canadian Wildlife Federation, 1991.
- The page saysIt defends its nest hard: many bird banders have had clothing torn or suffered severe lacerations, so biologists working at a nest wear heavy jackets and industrial hard hats.
- The source says
Bird banders often witness the aggressiveness of these owls in defending their nests. Indeed, many have had clothing torn or suffered severe lacerations during repeated attacks. So risky is it to work with these birds under such circumstances that biologists wear heavy jackets and industrial hard hats for protection.
Note: Fun Facts; the sentence stats.dangerLevel: High rests on (#241). The HWW text is Crown copyright 1977, 1991: old, but nest-defence behaviour is not a figure that dates.
Source
03
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Living with wildlife: Owls. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
- The page saysAttacks on people are generally rare, though, and an owl may hoot repeatedly first to warn a person away.
- The source says
Owl attacks are generally rare, and the birds may hoot repeatedly before an attack to warn a person away from their territory or nesting area.
Note: Fun Facts; the provoked half of stats.dangerLevel: High, so the page says what the tier rests on (#241)
How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.