Great Horned Owl (Hoot Owl, Tiger Owl)

The Great Horned Owl is a massive, powerful nocturnal predator known for its prominent feather tufts ('horns'), bright yellow eyes, and deep, resonant hooting calls. It is one of the most adaptable owls in the world, capable of taking prey as large as skunks, hares, and even other raptors.

Distinctive alternating horizontal bands of dark brown/black and grayish-white across a warm buff-brown background, with a pale whitish-tan rachis

Pennaceous upper portion with tightly interlocked barbs and barbicels, transitioning to a loose, fluffy plumulaceous (downy) base with no true afterfeather

Soft and matte in appearance; velvety texture at the tips with exceptionally soft, downy barbs at the base, lacking the specialized comb-like serrations found on flight feathers

Bold, dark brown horizontal barring against a mottled grey-brown and buff background, combined with a broad rounded shape and a fluffy, downy lower base

Extremely adaptable; inhabits deciduous and evergreen forests, deserts, swamps, tundra, urban areas, agricultural fields, and mountainous regions

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

Apex nocturnal predator serving a crucial role in controlling populations of rodents, rabbits, and other small mammals, acting as a primary indicator of ecosystem health

Barred Owl (Strix varia) and Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), though Barred Owl feathers typically feature more vertical spotting or barring rather than clean horizontal bands

Great Horned Owls possess an extraordinary hearing capability and can rotate their heads 270 degrees. They begin nesting very early in the winter months, often using abandoned hawk or eagle nests

Good condition; vane is intact with minimal wear at the tip, though some minor fraying is visible along the margins of the distal end