They are generally warm brown on the upperparts, spotted with darker brown, black and whitish. The throat is white, contrasting with the darkly splotched upper breast. The brownish-buff underparts are paler toward the belly and barred. The legs and feet are thickly feathered with only the talons exposed. The eyes are large and yellow.
Coloration varies both individually and regionally.
Birds in the east tend to be more richly colored with orangish facial discs. Those from the far north and desert areas are paler with gray faces. Birds from the far West and from tropical areas are the darkest, with dark reddish facial discs. Sexes are similar, although females tend to be larger and more heavily marked. Great Horned Owl vocalizations recorded by Robert C. Stein, Dwight R. Chamberlain, and William R. Fish.