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

A powerful, large-bodied owl with prominent ear tufts and a white throat patch. The plumage is a complex camouflage of grays, browns, and buffs designed to mimic tree bark.

Mottled ochre, tawny, and cream base with 7 to 9 distinct dark brown transverse bars (banding); the trailing edge shows a lighter pale fringe; the rachis is a pale straw color.

Pennaceous structure on vanes but with a specialized soft, velvet-like 'muff' or fimbriae on the leading edge to dampen sound; distal barbs are loosely interlocked compared to diurnal raptors.

Extremely soft and velvety to the touch with a matte appearance; lacks the waxy sheen of waterfowl to prioritize sound dampened flight over water resistance.

Distinctive 'toothed' or fringed leading edge (combs), soft tawniness, and regular dark horizontal banding that does not reach the very edge of the vane.

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

Extensive range throughout North and South America, from the subarctic tree line in Alaska and Canada down to Tierra del Fuego.

Apex nocturnal predator; controls populations of rodents, rabbits, and other birds. They are an important indicator of a healthy, diverse ecosystem.

Long-eared Owl feathers (much smaller/thinner) and Barred Owl feathers (show cleaner grayish-white and brown barring without the ochre/orange tones).

Great Horned Owls have a crushing grip strength of up to 500 psi. They are one of the few predators that regularly hunt skunks, as they have a very poor sense of smell.

Fair to Poor; the feathers show significant wear, fraying of the barbs (venting), and several broken tips, suggesting they were molted or lost after a long season of use.