Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

The Great Horned Owl is a powerful, heavily built apex predator known for its prominent ear tufts, piercing yellow eyes, and deep hooting call. It is one of the most widespread and adaptable owls in the Americas.

Mottled brown, buff, and cream with distinct horizontal dark brown barring and a pale shaft.

Plumulaceous at the base transitioning to pennaceous toward the tip, featuring soft, velvety barbules that provide silent flight capabilities.

Soft, velvety, and matte in appearance, lacking the stiffness of typical diurnal raptor flight feathers to ensure silent flight.

Soft velvety texture, mottled brown and buff coloration with prominent dark horizontal barring, and a flexible rachis.

Extremely adaptable, found in deciduous and coniferous forests, deserts, swamps, tundra, and urban/agricultural areas.

Widespread throughout North, Central, and South America, ranging from the subarctic down to South America as a year-round resident.

Acts as a top nocturnal apex predator controlling populations of rodents, rabbits, and other small-to-medium mammals and birds.

Barred Owl (Strix varia) and Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), distinguished by the coarser, warmer-toned barring and larger size of Great Horned Owl feathers.

Great Horned Owls have specialized feather fringes on their primary feathers that muffle the sound of rushing air, allowing them to hunt silently in total stealth.

Good condition, intact barbs, showing minimal wear or fraying.

Oklahoma