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

The Great Horned Owl is a large, powerful raptor with prominent ear tufts and piercing yellow eyes. Its plumage serves as perfect camouflage against tree bark. This feather showcases the classic barring that breaks up the bird's silhouette during the day.

Boldly barred with four distinct dark brown/umber transverse bands against a creamy-buff to white background; the tip shows fine 'peppered' mottling patterns typical of the species.

Pennaceous at the distal end with a velvety (fimbriate) dorsal surface; the proximal base is plumulaceous (fluffy). Features specialized soft fringes on the trailing edge to suppress noise.

Extremely soft and silky to the touch. The surface has a 'velvet' or 'fluff' (fimbriae) that breaks up air turbulence, allowing for silent flight.

Distinctive dark brown transverse bars, creamy-buff ground color, rounded tip, and the presence of fine 'velvety' fimbriae on the surface for sound dampening.

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

Widely distributed across the Americas, from the subarctic tree line in Alaska and Canada south through Mexico and Central America into parts of South America.

Apex nocturnal predator; plays a vital role in controlling rodent and lagomorph (rabbit) populations. They are ecological indicators of habitat health.

Long-eared Owl feathers are smaller and narrower; Short-eared Owl feathers have more ochre tones; Barred Owl feathers have more regular, 'cleaner' white-and-brown banding without as much fine mottling.

Great Horned Owls have a crushing grip of up to 300 psi, which they use to hunt prey as large as skunks, porcupines, and other birds of prey.

Good condition; the barbs are mostly intact, though the basal down (plumulaceous section) shows some matting. No obvious fault bars or parasite damage visible.