🦉 How does an owl fly silently at night?

While everyone else is asleep, the owl watches over the forest with its big, bright eyes. Let's uncover the secrets of this night hunter.

📷 A Eurasian eagle owl with feather tufts sticking up like ears. Look at its bright orange eyes!

What kind of animal is the owl?

Owls are nighttime hunters. Many eagle owls have tufts of feathers on top of their heads that look like ears, but these tufts aren't real ears at all. An owl's real ears are hidden in the feathers on the sides of its face.

An owl's huge eyes see well in the dark, but they can't roll around in their sockets. Instead, the owl has a very flexible neck and can turn its head far around to look behind it. Its round, flat face works like a satellite dish, gathering tiny sounds toward its ears so it can hear a mouse's footsteps in the grass.

The edges of an owl's wing feathers are soft and fringed like a comb, which quiets the swish of air as it flaps. That's why its prey almost never hears it coming. In Korea, the Eurasian eagle owl is designated a Natural Monument and is protected by law.

🔍 Things to observe

• Watch a photo or video of an owl turning its head, then compare it with how far you can turn yours.
• Look for the feather tufts on top of the head. Eagle owls have them; many other owls don't.
• Talk about why an owl's face might be shaped like a round dish.

🖍️ Tips for drawing together with your child

• Draw a big egg-shaped body with two large round eyes, and it instantly looks like an owl.
• Add two pointy feather tufts on top of the head and small V shapes on the chest for feathers.
• Paint a navy night sky with a yellow moon and stars, and Professor Hoot will be delighted.

💬 Let's talk about it

• If you were an animal that stayed awake only at night, what would you do?
• Why does an owl need to fly without making a sound?

🏪 In the game: Professor Hoot