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

The Great Horned Owl is a powerful, heavily built apex nocturnal predator known for its prominent feather tufts resembling horns, large yellow eyes, and deep hooting call. It is one of the most adaptable owls, capable of taking prey ranging from small rodents to large mammals and birds.

Rich warm brown and tawny background featuring bold, dark brown horizontal barring across the vane, typical of adult Great Horned Owl plumage

Pennaceous upper portion with densely interlocked barbs transitioning smoothly into a very soft, extensive plumulaceous base with numerous downy barbs

Extremely soft, velvety, and matte in texture, lacking the typical stiffness of diurnal raptor feathers to ensure completely silent acoustic flight

Warm brownish-tan ground color with bold, distinct dark brown transverse bars and an exceptionally soft, velvety texture designed for noiseless flight

Extremely adaptable, inhabiting a vast range of habitats including deciduous and evergreen forests, deserts, swamps, tundra, agricultural areas, and urban parks

Widespread throughout North America, Central America, and South America, occurring from the subarctic tree line down to the southern tip of South America

Acts as a top nocturnal apex predator helping to control populations of rodents, rabbits, skunks, and other small-to-medium-sized animals, maintaining ecosystem balance

Barred Owl (Strix varia) and Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), distinguished by different barring patterns and lighter or more streaked coloration

Great Horned Owls possess an incredible grip strength of up to 500 pounds per square inch, roughly equal to that of a canine jaw, and they are primary users of abandoned nests built by hawks or crows rather than building their own.

Good condition with intact barbs and a clean rachis, showing very minor wear at the very tip