Great Horned Owl

A large, powerful owl with prominent ear tufts and a white throat patch. This feather displays the mottled tawny/white camouflage used to blend into tree bark.

Strongly banded with alternating creamy white and warm mocha-brown; the bands are broad and 'W' or 'V' shaped across the vane

Highly plumulaceous (downy) at the base with soft, loosely interlocked pennaceous barbs at the tip; includes characteristic velvety 'fringe' for silent flight

Extremely soft, velvety, and matte; the surface is designed to absorb sound rather than reflect light

Soft velvety texture, distinct brown-on-white banding, and a large plumulaceous (fuzzy) base

Highly adaptable: found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, tundra edges, and urban parks

Extensive range throughout North and South America, from the tree line in the Arctic to the tip of South America; largely non-migratory

Apex predator; controls populations of rodents, skunks, and even other birds of prey

Barred Owl feathers (typically more grayish-brown with more uniform vertical/horizontal streaks) and Long-eared Owl (smaller and more orange-tinted)

Great Horned Owls can exert over 300 pounds per square inch of pressure with their talons, enough to crush the spine of large prey

Good; shows natural curvature and intact barbs, though some slight separation is visible at the distal trailing edge