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

This feather belongs to a powerful apex predator. The Great Horned Owl is a large, thick-bodied owl with prominent ear tufts and piercing yellow eyes. Its plumage provides perfect camouflage against tree bark. In flight, they are nearly silent due to the soft edges of feathers like this one.

Base color of ochre-buff to tawny-orange; 7-9 distinct dark chocolate brown horizontal bars. The trailing edge shows fine dark mottling or 'vermiculation' between the main bars.

Pennaceous upper section with specialized velvety pile; leading edge features a comb-like fringe (fimbriae) for silent flight; base contains plumulaceous downy barbs.

Incredibly soft, velvety, and matte. Lacks the waxy or glossy coating of waterfowl to prioritize silent flight and softness over water-resistance.

Tawny-buff base color, bold dark bars, and the distinctive 'velvet' texture with a fringed leading edge for sound dampening.

Extremely versatile; found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, subarctic tundra, agricultural areas, and even urban parks.

Year-round resident across North and South America, ranging from the tree line in the Arctic to the southern tip of South America.

Apex nocturnal predator. They control populations of rodents, skunks, and other birds. They are adaptable but sensitive to secondary poisoning from rodenticides.

Long-eared Owl feathers are smaller and more slender. Snowy Owl feathers lack the warm tawny-buff base tone. Barred Owl feathers have cleaner, more defined white and brown contrast without the orange hues.

The 'horns' are not ears but tufts of feathers. These owls have a grip strength of up to 500 PSI, which is comparable to that of a Golden Eagle, allowing them to take prey as large as skunks and small deer.

Excellent condition. The barbs are mostly intact, indicating a relatively fresh molt. No significant wear or 'fault bars' from nutritional stress are visible.