Great Horned Owl (Northern Great Horned Owl, Hoot Owl)

A massive, powerful owl with prominent ear tufts and piercing yellow eyes. Its plumage is a complex mosaic of gray, brown, and buff designed for camouflage against tree bark. In flight, it has broad, rounded wings and a short tail; vocalization is a deep, rhythmic series of hoots.

Tawny ochre base with bold, dark brown/black transverse banding; outer vane features mottling (vermiculation); ventral side is paler than dorsal surface; dark terminal band at the tip.

Pennaceous and tightly interlocked with a specialized velvety soft texture (fimbriae/flutings) on the leading edge and dorsal surface for silent flight; plumulaceous at the extreme base.

Distinctively soft and velvety; matte finish avoids light reflection; the leading edge feels serrated or 'comb-like' to the touch to break up air turbulence.

38cm length; velvety 'silent flight' texture; bold dark banding on an ochre base; extreme asymmetry of the vanes.

Extremely versatile; found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, agricultural areas, and urban parks; nests in old raptor nests, cavities, or on cliff ledges.

Year-round resident across North and South America, ranging from the Arctic treeline south to the Straits of Magellan.

Apex predator; controls populations of rodents, skunks, and other birds; highly adaptable 'generalist' hunter.

Eurasian Eagle-Owl (larger, darker orange tones); Snowy Owl (lacks tawny ochre, predominantly white/black); Great Gray Owl (wider tail feathers, different banding consistency).

The Great Horned Owl has a gripping force of up to 500 psi in its talons, enough to crush the skull of a rabbit; they are one of the few predators that regularly hunt skunks because they have a poor sense of smell.

Good to Excellent. The vanes are mostly intact with minor 'zipper' separation toward the base; little evidence of sun bleaching or feather lice damage.

38cm long