Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

The Great Horned Owl is a powerful and adaptable nocturnal apex predator known for its prominent ear tufts, piercing yellow eyes, and deep hooting call. It is a robust owl with heavily feathered legs and feet, capable of taking prey much larger than itself.

Mottled earthy browns, warm tans, creamy whites, and dark brown or black horizontal barrings providing excellent camouflage against tree bark

Pennaceous vane with specialized velvety tips on the barbs and a fringe-like, comb-like structure along the leading edge that dampens sound during flight

Remarkably soft, velvety, and matte in texture, lacking the typical glossy sheen of diurnal raptor feathers, which helps absorb sound waves for silent flight

Velvety texture, specialized comb-like leading edge for silent flight, and bold dark brown and tan horizontal barring on a soft, muted background

Incredibly adaptable, found in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, deserts, swamps, tundra edges, agricultural areas, and urban parks

Widespread throughout the Americas, ranging from the subarctic of North America down through Central America to South America

Acts as a top nocturnal apex predator helping to control populations of rodents, rabbits, snakes, and other medium-sized mammals and birds

Barred Owl (Strix varia) and Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), distinguished by differing bar width, coloration, and specific velvet fringe patterns unique to larger owls

Great Horned Owls can exert a crushing grip force of over 300 pounds per square inch, roughly equivalent to the bite of a large dog, and they are often the primary predator of the skunk due to their poor sense of smell

Good condition with intact barbs and minimal fraying, showing standard wear consistent with a naturally molted feather found outdoors