Flight Friday: The Art of the Silent Strike
Watching an owl hunt is a masterclass in precision engineering. Three special feather features make a completely silent flight possible:
🪶 A serrated leading edge - Tiny comb-like structures break up air turbulence
🪶 The soft trailing edge - Flexible, fringed feathers reduce noise
🪶 A velvety surface - Dense, fluffy down muffles sound
Due to this unique combination, owls can fly within inches of prey without being detected. Most birds create 20-30 decibels of noise in flight. Owls? Less than 1 decibel!
Barn Owls have the softest feathers and quietest flight, while fishing owls are noisier since their underwater prey can't hear them coming anyway.
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