Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida, USA
© Matthew Studebaker/Minden Pictures
Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida, USA
No, those aren’t really horns on the great horned owl, shown here blending in nicely with its surroundings in Central Florida. The distinctive tufts of feathers on top of its head are known as ‘plumicorns’. They have nothing to do with hearing – instead, they’re thought to be used to show expression and for camouflage. The bird’s nickname is the ‘tiger owl’, which comes from early naturalists who described this stealthy predator as a ‘tiger of the air’.
Related Images
Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) lying on a bed of sea grass in Carnac Island, Western Australia
Leopard snoozing in a tree in Namibia
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona
Sunset at Counts Point in West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia
Lake Dobson in Mount Field National Park of Tasmania
Almond orchards in bloom, Sacramento Valley, California
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Water wheel in the Tashkurgan Grassland, Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang, China
Bing Today Images
Ochagavía, Navarre, Spain
Feb 17, 2026
Coll d'Ares, Catalan Pyrenees
Feb 17, 2025
Red deer, Richmond Park, London, England
Feb 17, 2022
Black-crested titmouse in Texas Hill Country
Feb 17, 2019
Vieste on the Adriatic coast of Italy
Feb 17, 2017
