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

This feather belongs to the Great Horned Owl, a powerful apex predator known for its prominent ear tufts and deep, rhythmic hooting. The bird itself is mottled brown with a white throat patch and yellow eyes. This specific feather shows the cryptic camouflage necessary for blending into tree bark during daylight hours.

Mottled grayish-brown base with distinct horizontal 'tiger-stripe' barring in dark brown/black. The distal tip shows fine vermiculation (worm-like markings). Hints of buff or ochre are visible in the bars.

The distal portion is pennaceous but extremely soft, featuring the characteristic velvety 'fimbriae' or downy surface typical of owls. The basal two-thirds are highly plumulaceous (downy) for insulation.

Silky, soft, and velvet-like. It lacks the stiff, glossy texture of diurnal raptor feathers, appearing matte to help dampen sound for silent flight.

Soft, velvet-like texture; thick plumulaceous base; distinct dark horizontal barring; fine vermiculation at the rounded tip.

Extremely versatile, found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, subalpine fields, and urban parks/orchards.

North America from the Arctic tree line south through Central and South America. They are permanent residents across most of their range.

Apex predator; controls populations of rodents, skunks, and other small mammals. They are highly adaptable 'generalist' hunters.

Long-eared Owl feathers are similar but smaller and more slender. Barred Owl feathers lack the fine vermiculation and usually have bolder, cleaner brown/white transitions.

Great Horned Owls can apply 28 pounds of pressure with their talons, enough to sever the spine of large prey like skunks or even other raptors.

Fair to Good. The feather shows some separation of the barbs (venting) and slight wear on the edges, suggesting it is a molted feather from a previous season.