Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

The Great Horned Owl is a powerful, heavily built apex nocturnal predator known for its prominent feather tufts resembling horns, large yellow eyes, and deep hooting call. It is a formidable hunter capable of taking prey much larger than itself.

Intricate barred pattern of dark brown and warm buff/cream alternating stripes across a pale background, providing excellent camouflage

Extremely plumulaceous and soft towards the base, becoming more pennaceous towards the tip; velvety texture with specialized velvety barbules that muffle sound

Incredibly soft, velvety, and matte in appearance with no gloss, highly specialized for acoustic dampening during flight

Distinctive dark brown and buff barring, velvety matte texture designed for silent flight, and broad rounded shape

Incredibly adaptable, found in deciduous and coniferous forests, deserts, swamps, tundra, urban areas, and agricultural lands

Widespread throughout the Americas, from the Arctic tree line down to South America, making it the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas

Apex avian predator that regulates populations of rodents, rabbits, skunks, and other small to medium-sized mammals

Barred Owl or Short-eared Owl, though Great Horned Owl feathers are generally larger, heavier, and exhibit a richer, coarser barring pattern

Great Horned Owls are among the earliest nesting birds in North America, often laying eggs in the dead of winter in abandoned hawk or crow nests

Good condition with intact barbs and clear coloration, showing minor natural wear consistent with a naturally dropped molt feather