The great horned owl is the most common owl of the Americas, easily recognizable because of the feather tufts on its head. These “plumicorns” resemble horns or, to some, catlike ears.

That was the case at Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia last weekend, when staff from the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center released a great horned owl that had been in their care.

Owls, with their earth-toned feathers, are masters of camouflage. But not the barn ... barn owls are white for a reason. Unlike the great horned owl that scans for prey while perched high in ...