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

A magnificent large owl with prominent ear tufts and a white throat patch. The feather reflects their 'tiger' camouflage, designed to blend into bark and shadows. They are apex nocturnal predators with a wingspan up to 4.8 feet.

Mottled ochre-buff base with 5-7 thick, dark chocolate-brown transverse bands. The ventral surface is paler, and the rachis transitions from creamy white at the base to dark brown toward the tip.

Densely packed pennaceous barbs with a velvet-like soft pile on the surface. Features a specialized fimbriate (comb-like) leading edge that breaks up air turbulence.

Extremely soft and velvety to the touch. The dorsal surface has a fine downy nap (flutings) that dampens sound, while the trailing edge has a soft fringe.

Bold dark banding, rich buff-orange coloration, and the presence of sound-dampening velvet pile (flutings) on the vane surface.

Highly adaptable; found in deciduous and evergreen forests, swamps, deserts, tundra edges, and suburban parks.

Year-round resident across most of North America from the Arctic tree line south through Central America and parts of South America.

Apex predator; controls populations of rodents, rabbits, and even other birds of prey. Currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Long-eared Owl feathers are smaller and narrower; Red-tailed Hawk feathers lack the velvety sound-dampening pile and have thinner, more frequent bands.

Great Horned Owls have a crushing grip strength of over 300 psi and are one of the few predators that regularly hunt skunks due to their poor sense of smell.

Excellent condition; the barbs are well-aligned, indicating a relatively fresh molt with no signs of heavy wear, fault bars, or parasite damage.