Likely Barred Owl; also known as the Northern Barred Owl

The specimen is a small, rounded, brown feather with pale transverse bars. Barred Owls are large, brown-eyed woodland owls with barred upperparts and vertical breast streaks, known for their resonant “Who cooks for you?” calls.

Warm brown with repeated pale cream-white crossbars and a pale shaft. This pattern is consistent with barred owl plumage, though similar owl feathers can overlap.

Close, soft-looking vanes with intact interlocking barbs; no obvious fraying or specialized comb-like edge is visible.

A slender, pale rachis divides the feather; narrow brown-and-cream bands cross the vanes, with barbs densely arranged.

Appears soft and matte, typical of owl plumage; surface detail is limited by the photograph.

Probably body or covert plumage, based on its short, rounded shape rather than the long, strongly asymmetric form of a primary.

Rounded contour-feather form, warm brown ground color, repeated pale crossbars, and pale rachis. These features suggest an owl but do not confirm species from this image alone.

Barred Owls favor mature, often moist forests near rivers, swamps, and wetlands, and also use wooded suburbs; they nest in tree cavities.

Resident across much of eastern North America and extending into the Pacific Northwest; range expansion has brought it into parts of western Canada and the northwestern United States.

A forest predator that helps regulate rodents and other small animals; it is also prey or competitor within forest food webs. Barred Owls are widespread, but their interactions with Spotted Owls are a conservation concern.

Great Horned Owl feathers can show brown-and-pale barring but are often larger and more strongly patterned; Spotted Owl feathers tend to have conspicuous spots rather than regular bars. Feather identification alone is uncertain.

Barred Owls hunt by sound as well as sight and may capture fish, amphibians, and small mammals. Their expanding range has brought them into competition with the threatened Spotted Owl in parts of the West.

Owl feathers have cultural significance for some Indigenous communities; meanings and protocols vary. In the United States, possession of most native bird feathers, including owl feathers, is generally restricted by federal law—do not collect or keep without checking applicable rules.

Compare multiple feathers from the same area and use a ruler, clear photographs, and regional reference collections. Do not collect feathers from protected native birds; photograph them where found and consult local wildlife authorities.

Appears intact and in good condition; no clear breakage, staining, or obvious wear is visible. Image detail is insufficient to assess fine damage.