Slide 1
An owl can find prey by listening in the dark
An owl can locate prey by listening to movement in vegetation. Sensitive hearing provides information when light is too limited for clear sight.
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An owl does not need the prey to call. Rustling or footsteps can reveal an animal that is concealed, making hearing useful even when the prey cannot be directly seen.
Slide 2
Comparing arrival times helps locate a sound
A sound reaches an owl's ears at slightly different times. Comparing the signals helps its nervous system estimate where the sound originated.
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The delay depends on the sound's direction relative to the head. Turning toward a source changes those differences and can refine the information available before a strike.
Slide 3
A barn owl’s facial disc directs sound to its ears
A barn owl's facial disc directs sound toward its ears. The feather arrangement contributes to hearing as well as its distinctive appearance.
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The visible feather tufts on some other owls are not their ears. Actual ear openings lie beneath feathers, so a conspicuous external feature can have a misleading everyday name.
Slide 4
Uneven ear positions add a clue to height
Barn owls have differently positioned ear openings. Unequal sound levels at the ears help them judge a source's vertical position.
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Not every owl has the same ear arrangement. The barn owl provides a well-studied example of sound localization, rather than a single anatomical description that fits all owl species.
Slide 5
The strike must turn the sound’s location into movement
An owl's approach must bring its feet to the prey's location. Sensing a sound and executing a strike are connected tasks.
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Quiet flight helps reduce noise that could mask useful sounds or alert prey. Hunting success depends on sensory information, wing structure and motor control working together in the habitat.
Sources
- How can an owl catch a mouse in darkness?
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- A Barn Owl's amazing powers of hearing
Barn Owl Trust