Great Horned Owl (Tiger Owl, Hoot Owl)

The Great Horned Owl is a large, powerful raptor known for its prominent ear tufts and deep, resonating hoots. This feather reflects the owl's camouflaged plumage, designed to blend into bark and shadows. The bird itself has a wingspan of 3 to 5 feet and is a fierce nocturnal predator.

Mottled brown, tan, and creamy white. Features broad, irregular dark brown horizontal bars interspersed with buff/tawny bands. The underside is noticeably paler and more muted than the dorsal surface.

Densely pennaceous throughout most of the vane but with a distinctive velvet-like pile (fimbria) on the surface; leading edge features a comb-like fringe (flutings) to reduce turbulence.

Extremely soft, silky, and velvet-like. This specialized 'muffled' surface is an evolutionary adaptation for silent flight, absorbing sound frequencies during wing beats.

Soft velvet-like pile on the surface, comb-like 'fimbriae' on the leading edge (if zoomed in), and the characteristic broad, dark brown and buff barring unique to large American owls.

Highly adaptable; found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, agricultural areas, and even suburban parks.

Year-round resident throughout most of North America, from the Arctic treeline south through Central America and parts of South America.

Top-tier nocturnal predator; plays a vital role in controlling populations of rodents, rabbits, and even other birds of prey.

Long-eared Owl feathers are smaller and more finely barred; Barred Owl feathers lack the tawny/buff tones and are more grey-brown and white.

The 'horns' of the Great Horned Owl are not ears but merely tufts of feathers. These owls have a crushing power in their talons of up to 500 PSI, enough to break the spine of large prey.

Good condition; showing minor wear at the tip and some separation of the barbs at the base (calamus area). No obvious fault bars or parasite damage visible.