this feather was interrupted in the process of unfurling. it was a developing feather called a pin feather, or sometimes a blood feather if it still has a blood supply flowing through it. as the young owl preens, it removes the waxy coating of the shaft and the feather unfurls, and the blood supply recedes to the base of the shaft. since starting STILL i have come across several blood feathers on my walks.  before STILL, i had never heard of them.

juvenile great horned owl pin feather

ely, minnesota