Great Horned Owl (also known as Tiger Owl or Hoot Owl)

This is a body contour feather from the Great Horned Owl, a massive bird with a wingspan up to 5 feet. The bird is characterized by its prominent 'ear' tufts, deep yellow eyes, and white throat patch. Their plumage is a complex mosaic of browns, greys, and whites designed for perfect camouflage against tree bark.

Base color is off-white to cream. It features 4-5 distinct transverse chocolate-brown or dusky-grey bars. There is fine 'vermiculation' (speckling) between the bars, typical of the cryptic plumage of large forest owls.

Mixed pennaceous and plumulaceous; the lower half is densely plumulaceous (downy) for insulation, while the upper distal end is pennaceous but with a soft, velvet-like 'fuzz' (pennulum) or 'comb' structure typical of owls to dampen sound.

Extremely soft and velvety to the touch. The surface is matte (non-reflective), which helps in camouflage and prevents light glints that could alert prey during nocturnal hunting.

Bold horizontal brown barring on a cream background; exceptionally soft, hair-like fringes on the barbs; large plumulaceous base; matte texture.

Highly adaptable: deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, desert scrub, agricultural areas, and urban parks.

Common throughout North and South America, from the subarctic tundra of Canada and Alaska down to the southern tip of South America. Mostly non-migratory.

Apex predator. They control populations of rodents, skunks, and even other birds of prey. They are vital indicators of ecosystem health.

Barred Owl (Strix varia) feathers have more vertical streaks on the belly, though their breast feathers are barred; Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) feathers are smaller and usually more orange-tinted.

Great Horned Owls have a crushing power in their talons of up to 500 PSI—strong enough to break the spine of a large rabbit or even a skunk. They are one of the few animals that regularly hunt skunks because they have a very poor sense of smell.

Fair to Good. There is some separation of the barbs at the tip (fraying) and the plumulaceous section appears slightly matted, suggesting it may have been exposed to the elements or molted naturally.