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

This feather belongs to the 'Tiger of the Woods,' a large, powerful owl with prominent ear tufts and piercing yellow eyes. The bird stands up to 25 inches tall with a 5-foot wingspan. Its plumage is a complex camouflage of mottling and barring.

Base color is a warm buffy-tan to creamy white. It features 6-7 broad, dark chocolate-brown transverse bars. The ventral side is lighter and more matte. The rachis is pale cream, almost white.

Pennaceous structure with a specialized velvety (fimbriate) dorsal surface; the barbs are soft and lack the stiff interlocking of most raptors. A fine, comb-like fringe (serrae) is present on the leading edge (though subtle in photos) to dampen sound.

Incredibly soft, velvety, and matte. Unlike hawk feathers which are glossy and stiff, this is designed for 'silent flight'. It feels silky and has a pillowy loftiness due to long barbules.

Broad, dark transverse bands on a buff base; rounded tip; velvety 'silent flight' texture; and a robust, pale-colored rachis.

Highly adaptable: found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, agricultural areas, and even suburban parks or urban woodlots.

Extremely widespread across North and South America, ranging from the subarctic tree line in Alaska and Canada down through Central America to the tip of South America. Non-migratory resident.

Apex predator. They control populations of rodents, skunks, and even other birds of prey. They are vital indicators of ecosystem health due to their position at the top of the food chain.

Long-eared Owl feathers are similar but much smaller and narrower. Red-tailed Hawk feathers are stiff, glossy, and have sharper, more defined banding without the velvety texture.

The Great Horned Owl has a grip strength of 300-500 psi, comparable to a Golden Eagle, allowing them to hunt prey as large as skunks and small deer. Their velvet-covered feathers break up air turbulence, making their flight completely silent to their prey.

Fair to Good. There is significant 'zipper' separation (parting of the barbs) in the mid-vane, likely due to mechanical stress or handling after it was molted. No obvious parasite damage.