A guide to how owls survive in the night
In the iconic Tootsie Pop commercial, the owl asks, “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?” before devouring the Tootsie Pop in three licks. Owls have long captured the imagination of the public, but beyond their pop culture fame, owls are extraordinary creatures. These mysterious creatures of the night are known for their sharp vision, silent flight, and ability to turn their heads almost all the way around. With their unique hunting skill and impressive hearing, owls have evolved to become champions of the night. How do their unique abilities allow owls to thrive in darkness, and what can we learn from these fascinating creatures and their adaptations?
This is an image of an owl in flight, illustrating the silent and stealthy movement throughout the night
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/owl-fly-silently.htm
Owls have super vision, which allows them to be the ultimate nocturnal predator. But how do owls see in the dark? Their eyes are packed with a high concentration of rod cells, and their retinas can detect the smallest details (1). Owls’ large eye size allows them to gather large amounts of light, which is essential for seeing in dark environments. This adaptation allows them to see in complete darkness, giving them a huge advantage over other predators of the night. Unlike humans, owls can’t move their eyes in their sockets, but their ability to turn their heads a full 270 degrees more than compensates for this (2). Another fascinating ability that helps owls hunt at night is their sharp sense of hearing. Owls have asymmetrical ear placement, where one ear is higher than the other, which allows them to hear in three dimensions. This makes it easy for them to pinpoint the exact location of their prey. No matter the environment, owls’ ears can hone in on small mammals, insects, and birds hidden from their sight. This ability is convenient because it allows them to find prey that may be hidden or camouflaged, like a mouse that is hidden underground or an insect hiding under a leaf.
https://www.livescience.com/26771-how-owls-rotate-heads.html
An image of a owl demonstrating its ability to turn its head 270 degrees, allowing the owl to observe its surroundings without moving.
Another secret weapon owls possess is their wings, which make them capable of nearly silent flight, giving them a huge advantage when hunting. The front edge of owls’ wings features serrations, comb-like structures that dampen sound and interrupt airflow (4). In addition, owls’ feathers have a soft texture that absorbs sound, preventing them from being heard. This unique soundproofing system makes it easy for owls to sneak up on prey. Owls also have powerful talons that allow them to have a strong grip, with curved claws that make it difficult for prey to escape once captured. Owls inhabit grasslands, forests and suburban areas and often hunt birds, insects, and small mammals (like voles, rabbits, and rats). Their abilities make it incredibly easy to track and capture their prey with precision. The way that owls soundlessly and skillfully navigate their environment in the darkness makes them stealthy creatures of the night.
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsfs.2016.0078
In this photo you can see the structure of an owls wings, illustrating the serrated edges, which help dampen the sound and enables them with nearly silent flight.
Owls are the ultimate nighttime predators, with their incredible vision, outstanding hearing, near-silent flight, and powerful talons. These silent hunters have mastered the art of hunting through their unique superpowers. So next time you see an owl, instead of thinking of the Tootsie Pop commercial, marvel at its amazing abilities.
References:
- Kathryn. (2022, March 4). “Owl” Be Seeing You: Amazing Facts About Owl Eyes. American Bird Conservancy. https://abcbirds.org/blog/owl-eyes/#:~:text=Night%20Vision,at%20seeing%20in%20the%20dark.
- Owl hearing | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology. (2025). Bto.org. https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/project-owl/learn-about-owls/owl-hearing
- Owl Adaptations I Owl Research Institute. (2021). Owlresearchinstitute. https://www.owlresearchinstitute.org/adaptations
- Beaks, Feathers and Flight – World Of Owls. (2014, November 6). World of Owls – Northern Ireland’s Only Owl, Bird of Prey and Exotic Animal Centre. http://www.worldofowls.com/beaks-feathers-and-flight/
Images:
- Winkler, S. (2008, July 14). How Can Owls Fly Silently? HowStuffWorks. https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/owl-fly-silently.htm
- Main, D. (2013, January 31). Biological Twist: How Owls Spin Heads Around. Livescience.com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/26771-how-owls-rotate-heads.html
- Wagner, H., Weger, M., Klaas, M., & Wolfgang Schröder. (2016). Features of owl wings that promote silent flight. Interface Focus, 7(1), 20160078–20160078. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2016.0078