Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

The Great Horned Owl is a powerful, heavily built nocturnal apex predator characterized by prominent feathered ear tufts, bright yellow eyes, and a deep hooting call.

Mottled earthy browns, white, and dark charcoal grey bars running horizontally across the vanes, providing disruptive camouflage.

Pennaceous vane with specialized velvety, comb-like fringes on the leading edge barbs and soft, downy extensions on the trailing edge barbules for silent flight.

Distinctly soft and velvety texture on the upper surface due to specialized micro-structure of barbules, with a matte, non-reflective finish.

Distinguished by strong horizontal barring, earthy brown and grey tones, asymmetrical shape, and a velvety surface texture that dampens sound during flight.

Extremely adaptable, inhabiting deep deciduous and coniferous forests, deserts, wetlands, agricultural areas, and urban parks.

Widespread throughout the Americas, ranging from the subarctic regions of Canada and Alaska down through the United States, Central America, and deep into South America.

Acts as an apex nocturnal predator regulating populations of rodents, rabbits, and other small to medium-sized mammals and birds.

Barred Owl (Strix varia) and Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), distinguished by differing bar patterns and colorations.

Great Horned Owls possess exceptionally powerful talons requiring up to 28 pounds of force to open, and they are among the few predators that regularly hunt skunks.

Fair condition with some visible fraying and wear at the tip, indicating it was shed or broken off after a season of use.