Owls Fly Silently. We tested it.

This is the sound of a hawk flying. This is the sound of a peregrine falcon flying. And this is the sound of an owl flying. Hi, I'm Danielle Dufault and you're watching Animalogic. Owls are the silent killers of the avian world. They have impeccable eyesight, a keen sense of hearing, a flesh-ripping beak, and razor-sharp claws. And to top it all off, you'll never hear them coming. Owls hunt their prey at night, using their superior eyesight and acute directional hearing to pinpoint their dinner in the dark. They have huge, round eyes that resemble massive globes. In reality, however, they are actually shaped like tubes, extending back into their skulls. Because of this, they're unable to move or roll their eyes, and can only look forwards. To make up for this, they have to turn their head to look around, and can swivel their neck up to 270 degrees. That's almost a full circle. They can achieve this circus sideshow worthy feat thanks to the 14 vertebrae in their neck, which is twice the amount in the human neck. A non-demon-possessed human's maximum range of head rotation is closer to a measly 180 degrees. Some owls have ear tufts, which have actually nothing to do with hearing. They are display feathers, which are used to express emotion, such as fear, anger, or excitement. Many breeds of owl, such as the barn owl or the boreal owl, have a pronounced facial disc, which acts as a radar, catching sound waves and guiding them to the owl's ear opening. They have asymmetrical ear openings that allow them to track whether a sound is coming from above or from below. Their hearing is so precise that some species can even hunt in complete darkness, using sound alone to guide them to a kill. They are exceptional predators, capable of flying through the night sky like a stealth bomber. They can come within inches of their prey without being detected. When air flies past an ordinary wing, it creates a rushing sound as large areas of air turbulence build up and pass over the trailing edge or the back of the wing. The soft down bristles and fringe of an owl helps smooth the passage of the air as it passes over the wing, scattering the sound so the prey can't hear them coming. When they strike, they shred their meals with their powerful beak and talons. They eat every part of their prey, bones and all. After eating, owls regurgitate pellets, which are composed of the undigested bones, fur, and feathers of the victims. Because these pellets are stored for up to 10 hours after eating and partially block the owl's digestive system, new prey cannot be swallowed until that pellet is regurgitated. Researchers use these pellets to study owl eating habits. The hooting sound that we usually associate with owls is usually territorial, but is also used in courting. Courtship and mating rituals differ between species of owls, but invariably involve calling. The male owl will usually try and impress his potential mate with an offering of food and a suitable nest to lay her eggs in. After copulation, the pair will usually snuggle and preen each other. Most couples will stay paired for the duration of the mating season, but some species, like the tawny owl, will mate for life. The female owl can lay anywhere between 1 and 13 eggs, depending on the species and the time of year. However, most typically, a clutch will consist of 3 or 4 eggs. An incubation lasts around a month. Eventually, like all bird species, the babies emerge from their egg prisons with the help of their egg tooth, a sharp protrusion on their beak used for chipping away at the shell. Because their births are often staggered over the course of a few days, typically, the youngest chick will be at a disadvantage and will die of malnourishment. Because of their reputation as the deadly night ninjas of the avian world, they are feared by many birds. As a result, they are often attacked and harassed by groups of smaller birds. This typically isn't associated with a single species, and once the attacks start, many different birds will join in on the fun. Though this may annoy the owl into moving to another location, they generally aren't bothered by the mass mobbing. What animal should I check out next? Please let me know in the comments! If you want to support the show and get episodes a week early, you can do so by signing up for a free trial of the video streaming app, Love Nature. Be sure to subscribe for new episodes of Animalogic every other week on YouTube. Thanks for watching!