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

This feather belongs to one of the most formidable nocturnal predators. The Great Horned Owl is a large, thick-bodied bird with prominent ear tufts. Its plumage provides perfect camouflage against tree bark, consisting of a mix of soot, cinnamon, and gray tones.

Mottled brown and tawny-buff base with distinct dark brown horizontal bars (banding). The pattern is irregular and 'tiger-striped,' appearing slightly lighter on the ventral (under) side.

Pennaceous at the distal end but with extremely soft, plumulaceous barbs at the base; featuring diagnostic velvet-like pile on the surface and a comb-like fringe (fimbriae) on the leading edge for silent flight.

Remarkably soft, silky, and velvet-like to the touch. The surface has a matte appearance due to a fine downy covering that dampens sound during wing movement.

Distinctive large-scale dark banding on a buff background, velvety surface texture ('owl pile'), and a fringed leading edge for noise reduction.

Highly adaptable, inhabiting deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, agricultural areas, and even suburban parks.

Found throughout North America from the Arctic tree line south through Central America and much of South America; largely a year-round resident.

Top-tier nocturnal predator. They control populations of rodents, skunks, and even other birds of prey. Currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Long-eared Owl feathers are similar but smaller and more slender. Barred Owl feathers have cleaner, more regular banding without the same degree of tawny-orange mottling.

Great Horned Owls can exert over 300 pounds per square inch of pressure with their talons. Their silent flight is made possible by the specialized structure of feathers just like this one.

Good condition. There is slight fraying at the tip and along the lower barbs, suggesting it may have been molted naturally rather than lost through trauma.