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

This feather belongs to one of the most powerful and recognizable owls in North America. The Great Horned Owl is a large bird (18-25 inches tall) with prominent ear tufts and a deep, booming hoot. Its plumage is a complex mosaic of greys, browns, and buffs, providing excellent camouflage against tree bark. In flight, they are silent shadows, capable of taking down prey as large as skunks and small raptors.

Rich ochraceous (buff-orange) base with heavy, dark brown transverse bars. The bars are somewhat irregular, a characteristic known as 'mottling.' The ventral side is paler than the dorsal side. The tip shows a darker brownish wash.

The structure is largely pennaceous with a distinctively soft, velvet-like coating (fimbriae) on the dorsal surface. The proximal end (base) shows a downy plumulaceous region. The outer edge lacks the stiff, sharp barbicels found in diurnal raptors to allow for silent air passage.

Extremely soft, silky, and velvet-like. It has a matte appearance with no iridescence. The surface is designed to dampen the sound of air movement, a unique adaptation for nocturnal hunting.

Bold dark brown horizontal banding on a warm buff/orange background; exceptionally soft, velvet-like texture; and a 'comb-like' or fringed leading edge for noise reduction.

Highly adaptable, found in deciduous and coniferous forests, swamps, orchards, agricultural areas, urban parks, and desert canyons.

Widely distributed across North and South America, from the subarctic tree line in Alaska and Canada south to the tip of South America. It is a year-round resident in most of its range.

Apex predator. They control populations of rodents, rabbits, and other birds. Their presence indicates a healthy, diverse ecosystem with a stable food chain.

Long-eared Owl feathers (smaller, more orange), Barred Owl feathers (generally more grey/white with regular vertical/horizontal barred mix), and Snowy Owl feathers (much whiter with darker spots/bars).

The Great Horned Owl has a grip strength of up to 300 psi, comparable to a large dog's jaw. They are one of the few animals that regularly eat skunks because they have a very poor sense of smell.

Good to Fair. There is a prominent split (separation of barbs) in the lower half of the vane, likely caused by mechanical stress during the molt or handling. The tip is slightly worn, indicating it may have been on the bird for a full season before molting.