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

A large, powerful owl with prominent ear tufts and large yellow eyes. The feather reflects the owl's 'tiger' camouflage which mimics tree bark.

Mottled brown, tan, and cream. Features distinctive dark brownish-black horizontal barring and irregular white spots against a tawny background.

Densely packed pennaceous barbs at the tip transitioning to a large, plumulaceous (downy) base. Features microscopic velvety fringes (fimbriae) for silent flight.

Extremely soft and velvety to the touch. The surface has a matte appearance with a specialized soft pile to dampen sound vibrations.

Velvety texture, mottled 'salt and pepper' brown/white patterning, and a very large downy base relative to the pennaceous tip.

Extremely adaptable: found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, subarctic tundra, and urban parklands.

Year-round resident across North and South America, from the northern tree line in Alaska/Canada to the tip of South America.

Apex predator; controls populations of rodents, skunks, and other birds. Known as the 'Tiger of the Woods' for its aggressive hunting.

Long-eared Owl feathers (narrower and more orange) and Barred Owl feathers (more distinct horizontal/vertical brown bars without the mottled texture).

Great Horned Owls have a crushing force of 300-500 psi in their talons, equivalent to the bite of a large dog, and lack a sense of smell.

Fair to Good. Shows some structural separation (un-zipping) of the barbs and significant wear at the downy base, likely a naturally molted specimen.