Great Horned Owl.  A large (18-25 in. tall) owl that prefers small woodlots in open country.  Most Great Horned Owls are BROWN.  This almost white one showed up at our place in December of 2011 and probably came down from the sub-arctic that winter.  Even though it is light colored you can tell it is a Great Horned by it ear tufts and great size.  The "ear tufts" are really just feathers.
The Great Horned is quite common and is a superb hunter.  It hunts not only small mammals but prey as large as rabbits and skunks. They begin nesting in late winter and we have noticed that they like to use abandoned Red-tailed Hawk nests. The call of the Great Horned is softer and has less "hoos" than the Barred Owl.  Because our house is located where the grasslands meet the forestlands, we have both Great Horned Owls and Barred Owls that come up to hunt our rabbits and mice. Both species have at times brought their young up to the yard to teach them how to hunt.  We seldom see them, but on many a warm late spring night we hear them "hooing" to each other.  (Sometimes the "hooing" goes on all night long).  On several occasions we have found mice and weasel that have had their heads severed from their bodies.  This is a technique that owls use to get at the high energy brain tissue of their prey.  It is little wonder that humans have always found owls interesting.