Great Horned Owl (Hoot Owl, Tiger Owl)

The Great Horned Owl is a large, powerful nocturnal raptor recognized by its prominent ear tufts, intense yellow eyes, and deep hooting calls. It is a top apex predator of the night skies.

Mottled brown, black, and buff barrings and vermiculations across a lighter greyish-white background, providing excellent camouflage against tree bark.

Pennaceous vane with specialized velvety barbules and a fringed outer edge that eliminates sound during flight. Lacks a prominent afterfeather, typical of owls.

Exceptionally soft and velvety to the touch due to specialized fringe barbules, matte finish designed to absorb light rather than reflect it.

Distinctive velvety texture, soft fringed leading edge for silent flight, and bold brownish-grey barring patterns.

Extremely adaptable, found in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, deserts, swamps, tundra edges, agricultural areas, and urban parks.

Widespread throughout North America, Central America, and much of South America, ranging from the sub-arctic to the tropics.

Acts as an apex nocturnal predator controlling populations of rodents, rabbits, skunks, and other small-to-medium mammals.

Barred Owl (Strix varia) and Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), distinguished by differing barbing patterns and lack of the same dark barring intensity.

Great Horned Owls can exert a crushing grip strength of over 300 pounds per square inch, roughly equivalent to a large dog's jaw pressure.

Moderate wear and tear with some fraying along the edges and minor barb separation, overall condition is Fair.