Silence is Golden Barn owls haunt grasslands, parks, and marshes on every continent except Antarctica. T ese long-legged raptors have adapted to life near people and are oſt en spotted by them. T ese owls are nocturnal. When it’s
daylight, they rest in hollow trees, crevices in cliffs, church steeples, or barns. By night, they swoop over open fields, looking for food. When most birds fly across an open field,
the wind makes a whooshing sound as the air passes over their feathers. Owl wings are different. When an owl flies, its flight is silent. An owl’s wings are adapted for quiet flying.
A barn owl’s wings are broad. T eir large surface area allows the owl to float through the air without needing to flap much. Less flapping makes less noise. In general, owls also have more
feathers than other birds. All of their wing feathers have a soſt , downy surface, which cuts down on the sound of them rubbing together. T e front edges of their wings have a series of small, firm feathers that look like a tiny comb. T e bulk of the wing is made up of soſt feathers. T e back edge of the wing is made up of fine feathers that ripple in the wind like a scarf. When a barn owl flies, wind rushes over
its wings. T e comb-like feathers at the front break up the rushing air into tiny whirls. T ese smaller whirls then roll over the owl’s wing. T e soſt feathers absorb any sound from the wind. Velvety down feathers on the owl’s legs also absorb sound. All of this helps an owl move without making sound. Silent flight is important to all owls because
they hunt by surprise. When there’s less noise, the owl can focus on hearing its prey. If its wings made a lot of sound, the owl would never be able to hear the soſt scurryings of animals on the ground below. Also, the sound of the owl’s flight doesn’t
give it away. So an owl can sneak up on its prey and attack.
4 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
The feathers on a barn owl’s face are arranged in a way to help funnel sound to its ears.
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