Eagles have several advantages over lions when it comes to aerial attacks.
Afraid? Depends. No eagle worth his beans will ever admit to being afraid of the measly owl. It would be simple enough to say “Well, duh… the eagle is bigger. Of COURSE it’s not afraid!” But that just isn’t always the case. Bigger is not always badder.
For instance… which is stronger? Stronger talons? Stronger wings? Stronger beaks? Stronger pound for pound? Stronger in who would win a fight? None of those can be answered by simply looking at the size difference. That doesn’t always tell the story.
This eagle is 2X or more, heavier than the owl. The wingspan of eagle, about 1.5X – 2X wingspan of owl. The size of the eagle’s feet, with talons, about 1.5X the size of the owl’s deadly feet. It would be fairer to the eagle to say it despises the Great Horned Owl. Probably as much as the Osprey despises the Bald Eagle. What goes around, comes around.
But for those who know about these things… no one will say “I’ll bet on the Bald Eagle, every time, against the Great Horned Owl”. The smart money wouldn’t give any odds other than 50/50… a toss-up, despite the eagle’s overwhelming size. To many, many wild animals… including the Bald Eagle… the Great Horned Owl can be a real son of a bitchin’ terror!