Great Horned Owl (Tiger Owl, Hoot Owl)

A large, powerful owl with prominent ear tufts and a white throat patch. This feather reflects the bird's supreme adaptation for silent, nocturnal hunting.

Alternating broad bars of dark soot-brown to charcoal and creamy off-white to buff; the pattern is jagged or 'toothed' rather than perfectly straight.

Pennaceous and tightly interlocked with a unique fimbriate (comb-like) leading edge and a soft, velvety 'velutinous' upper surface to dampen sound.

Remarkably soft and silky to the touch due to elongated barbules; the surface has a matte finish that absorbs light and sound.

Velutinous (velvety) surface texture and the characteristic fringed leading edge designed for silent flight.

Extremely versatile; found in deciduous and coniferous forests, deserts, suburban parks, orchards, and agricultural areas.

Resident throughout North and South America, from the Arctic tree line in the north to the tip of South America in the south.

Top-tier nocturnal predator; controls populations of rodents, rabbits, and even other raptors or smaller owls.

Barred Owl (Strix varia) feathers are smaller and have more regular, horizontal banding; Snowy Owl feathers are much whiter.

Great Horned Owls have a grip strength of over 300 pounds per square inch, comparable to the bite of a large dog.

Good; minimal wear on the barbs suggests a relatively fresh molt, though some slight separation is visible at the tips.