(Jupiter, FL)

The owl is a fascinating bird of prey. Much of its hunting strategy depends on stealth and surprise. The dull coloration of its feathers render it almost invisible and the serrated edges on an owl’s remiges muffles its wing beats, allowing its flight to be silent. The owl also has spectacular binocular vision which allows it to pinpoint prey in very low light. Its eyes are close to the size of the human eye and immobile within its bone socket so instead of turning its eyes like humans, it turns its head. The owl’s neck can move a full 270 degrees to see other directions without moving its body.

If the visual capability of an owl does not impress you than its hearing will.  An owl’s hearing is as good if not better than its vision.  The owl has better depth and sound perception than humans. The owl ears are strategically placed on either side of its head. The right ear is higher and positioned at a different angle. By tilting or turning its head, it captures sound equally.  An owl can pinpoint both the horizontal and vertical direction of  sound. They are wonderful to see and photograph in the wild.