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> birds hunt by sight Many owls hunt by hearing, notably the Great Grey Owl [0] whose facial disk is essentially an antenna dish mounted on the front of their
by KineticLensman 6y ago
> birds hunt by sight
Many owls hunt by hearing, notably the Great Grey Owl [0] whose facial disk is essentially an antenna dish mounted on the front of their heads. They can locate prey hiding under snow, for example.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_grey_owl#Feeding https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_grey_owl#Feeding
- EdwardDiego 6y agoAh, you're right, I rather over generalised there, more correctly it's "the avian predators they evolved to avoid, hunt by sight". The native ruru/morepork owl hunts by sound, and I'm assuming the extinct endemic laughing owl hunted by sound also. (Apparently, it preferred to hunt on foot...!) But neither owl predated birds larger than a passerine.
- KineticLensman 6y agoI also find it fascinating that many owls have evolved silent flight to avoid giving themselves away to prey with good hearing, even if the lack of preen-oil required makes them vulnerable to waterlogging in wet weather. (Thank you for introducing me to the Laughing Owl, although I was saddened to read that it's now extinct)