Great Horned Owl

A magnificent large owl with distinctive ear tufts and a deep hooting call. This feather reflects the cryptic camouflage required for a nocturnal apex predator, featuring stripes that break up the bird's silhouette against tree bark.

Crisp horizontal barring of dark umber brown against a creamy white or pale buff background; typical of the ventral barring seen on adult owls

Primary pennaceous structure at the tip and edges, transitioning to a highly plumulaceous (downy) base; presence of fine velvet-like fringes for silent flight

Extremely soft, silky, and matte; the surface has a unique velvety texture (fringe) evolved to dampen sound

Distinct soft 'fuzz' on the surface, bold dark-brown horizontal barring on a light background, and a very fluffy base

Highly adaptable: deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, subalpine fields, and urban parks

Year-round resident throughout North and South America, from the subarctic to the tip of South America

Apex predator; controls populations of rodents, rabbits, and even other medium-sized raptors

Long-eared Owl feathers are similar but smaller and usually more orange-buff; Red-tailed Hawk feathers lack the soft, velvety sound-dampening surface

Great Horned Owls can apply up to 300 psi of pressure with their talons and are known to prey on skunks because they have a poor sense of smell

Good condition; the distal barbs are slightly separated, but the pigmentation is vibrant, suggesting a relatively recent molt