Great Horned Owl (also known as Tiger Owl or Hoot Owl)

A magnificent large owl with prominent ear tufts and a deep hooting call. The feather reflects its apex predator status, featuring cryptic camouflage and silent-flight adaptations.

Mottled brown, tan, and creamy white; distinctive 'tiger-stripe' horizontal banding and vermiculation; darker brown bands alternate with lighter mottled sections

Pennaceous with specialized velvety 'fimbriae' on the surface and a serrated/comb-like leading edge (flutings) to reduce noise; plumulaceous at the base

Extremely soft, silky, and matte; lacks the stiff, glossy surface of hawks to allow for near-silent flight

Soft velvety texture, comb-like 'fimbriae' on the leading edge, and complex mottled brown/tan banding

Highly adaptable; found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, subarctic tundra, and urban parklands

Year-round resident across most of North America (from Alaska to Mexico) and much of South America

Apex predator; controls populations of rodents, rabbits, and even other birds of prey

Barred Owl (lacks the velvety texture and has more distinct, clean white bars); Red-tailed Hawk (stiffer, glossy, and lacks silent-flight serrations)

The pressure of their talons can exceed 300 psi. They are one of the few predators that regularly hunt skunks due to their poor sense of smell.

Good condition; some minor separation of barbs near the mid-section and light wear at the tip, suggests a naturally molted feather