Barred Owl in Cape May. These birds are often detected by their loud, deep "who-cooks-for-you?" call. Photo by Toribird.
Owls seem to inspire a sense of wonder and awe with their silent flight, needle-sharp talons, and nocturnal habits. A moonlit Barn Owl is like a gossamer ghost, the haunting trill of the pint-size Eastern Screech Owl captures the imagination, a Snowy Owl with its gorgeous moon-face is an instant celebrity. But these are normal birds, somehow related to the commonplace Turkey Vulture and Mallard. Isn’t it incredible what nature can do?
One of an owl’s most unique and supernatural features is the ability to fly on silent wings through a dark forest to capture unsuspecting prey. This silent flight is vital to an owl’s survival in two ways: it allows for the element of surprise since the animal it pursues will not be able to hear the hunter approach; and since most species of owls hunt by ear, fewer distracting flapping sounds makes it easier to zero in on prey.
So how do these birds do it? Owl wing feathers have small comb-like serrations on the leading edge, which breaks up noisy turbulence. Also, owls generally have large wings, which allows them to flap less - less flapping means less sound. Finally, their feathers are soft and velvety, which further dampens sound - think about how much noisier it is to rub two pieces of paper together than two pieces of velvet or flannel. This all has trade-offs, however, since owls cannot fly as fast as daytime speed hunters like falcons.
The feather serrations (circled in brown) on the wing of a Northern Saw-whet Owl. Photo by Toribird.
Check out this BBC video for an awesome demo on the silent flight on an owl!
Another awesome ability that these birds have is their senses. Many owls have superb night vision, aided by their huge eyes. In fact, their eyes are so large that they can’t move in their sockets the way ours can. To get around this, they can turn their head more than 180 degrees to look in any direction! Owls also have incredible hearing. Have you ever noticed that an owl’s face looks different from the face of a hawk, eagle or any other bird? Well, that’s a good observation! The feathers on an owl’s face are acoustically transparent (like the mesh of a speaker), and funnel sounds right to the bird’s ears - ears that are asymmetrical (one is higher that the other), further helping the hunter pinpoint its prey.
Snowy Owl in Kensington, photo by Toribird.
As incredible and secretive as these birds are, it can be astonishing that we do in fact have owls right here in the city. Tiny screech owls can hang out in any park with enough trees, even backyards, and Great-horned Owls have nested near the Philly airport. Perhaps most amazingly, Snowy Owls will show up from time to time! Last year I enjoyed seeing one on top of a school near Kensington. They also like airports since the flat landscape is familiar to a bird that has spent its life on the arctic tundra - consider that a tree is likely as foreign to a Snowy Owls as a highway!
It is very exciting to have these enthralling birds around, but we must all be sure to behave responsibly around them. If you are lucky enough to encounter an owl, keep your distance and make sure to watch the bird for signs of anxiety, backing off if it becomes fearful. If you take pictures, do not use flash; it can temporally affect these nocturnal birds’ eyesight. For the sake of all wildlife, please stay only on designated trails to avoid trampling habitat. Use careful judgement when sharing the location of owls; they are shy birds and don't like crowds ogling them. You may also want to play taped owl sounds to get them to call in response, but please use it sparingly, and avoid it during important points in the breeding season.
An Eastern Screech Owl, a species I hope to hear on the owl prowl. This picture was taken in Texas, the screech-owls there are a bit different from ours. Photo by Toribird.
I am exited to say that we will have the Woodlands’ first ever owl prowl on Thursday February 20th! We’ll meet at the stable at 5:30pm, then spend about an hour after dark listening for owls throughout the cemetery. I suggest you wear layers of warm clothes and bring a flashlight. Since this is our first time, I can’t guarantee that we have any nocturnal friends residing at The Woodlands, but I hope you’ll join me in finding out!
Written by: Toribird