Barn Owl feathers
By Charlotte Owen
WildCall Officer
I can never resist picking up a found feather and one of the most treasured in my small collection once belonged to a Barn Owl. It’s about the length of my outstretched hand, white and weightless and incredibly soft. The upper surface looks more like downy fur than a typical feather, and the individual barbs are only visible from underneath. The leading edge is gilded an almost-glowing amber and daubed with four darker brown bars, marking this as a female’s feather. The ghostly males are generally much paler.
The softness of this feather is a key adaptation for silent flight, and Barn Owls really do glide through the air with the same soundless quality as falling snow. Their dense plumage muffles sound and tiny serrations, like the teeth of a comb, run along the leading edge of each flight feather to break up the turbulence that would otherwise create the swoosh of a flapping wing. The velvet-soft downy coating is a feature unique to owls that improves air flow and dampens smaller currents, as does the super-soft fringe on each wing’s trailing edge. The wings themselves are very large for such a lightweight bird, allowing a barn owl to fly incredibly slowly and hover on the slightest breeze.
Barn Owls hunt with their ears more than their eyes, so it’s vital they filter out as much of their own noise as possible to hone in on their prey. Their feathers also help them to hear, and their distinctive heart-shaped face amplifies sound and channels it to their invisible ears, hidden beneath feathers. These are the most sensitive ears in the animal kingdom and because one is slightly higher than the other, they can hear in 3D. The faintest rustle of a nesting field vole deep within a grassy tussock is enough to pinpoint its location and a Barn Owl will strike with deadly precision, even in pitch darkness. Their one weakness is heavy rain, since their soft feathers are not at all waterproof. Historically, barn owls would hunt in farm buildings on rainy days but today such opportunities are rare, and survival is a challenge for this beautiful bird.
Find out more about owls on our Owls of Sussex course in September 2022