Great Horned Owl (Tiger Owl, Hoot Owl)

This is a soft body feather from the Great Horned Owl, a powerful predator known for its tufted 'horns' and yellow eyes. The bird is a large raptor with a wingspan of 3-5 feet. Its plumage is a mottled mix of brown, grey, and white designed for camouflage against tree bark.

Distinctive horizontal banding with two bold, crisp white bars alternating with dark charcoal-brown and a warm buff-taupe base. The banding is characteristic of the 'barred' appearance of an owl's underparts.

Highly plumulaceous (downy) at the base for insulation, transitioning to a pennaceous structure at the tip. Features specialized velvet-like soft barbules for silent movement.

Extremely soft, silky, and matte. Lacks the oily coating of waterbirds; features a 'velvety' surface typical of owls to reduce air turbulence and enable silent flight.

Sharp, high-contrast white banding and extremely high density of downy fluff at the base. The 'fuzzy' texture of the pennaceous section is a diagnostic owl trait.

Extremely versatile; found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, subalpine areas, and urban parks/residential areas.

Resident throughout North America from the Arctic tree line south to Central and South America. Non-migratory.

Apex nocturnal predator; controls populations of rodents, rabbits, and other birds. They occupy a wide range of niches as ecological generalists.

Barred Owl (Strix varia) feathers have similar banding but are usually more brown/cream and less crisp. Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) feathers are smaller and more intricately streaked.

Great Horned Owls can apply 200 to 500 pounds per square inch of pressure with their talons. They are one of the few predators that regularly hunt skunks, as they have a very poor sense of smell.

Good condition. The feather appears freshly molted with intact barbs and no significant sun bleaching or parasitic damage.