Their hues and patterns offer more than just visual delight – they tell stories of evolution ... Rather than attraction, the team suggests a different function for owl feathers: thermal regulation.

The silent flight of an owl is particularly fascinating from a biological and acoustic engineering standpoint. Engineers and scientists study owl feathers and flight patterns to develop quieter ...

Barn owl. Photo by Magda Ehlers via Pexels. The remarkable adaptations for silent flight extend to how owls maintain their specialized feathers. Unlike many birds that molt all their flight feathers ...

Alteration of the expression of the co-called ‘Sonic Hedgehog’ gene can transform feet scale and wing feathers. While a transient over-expression of the gene can permanently turn feet scales into ...

Get Instant Summarized Text (Gist) Fluorescent pigments have been discovered in the feathers of Long-eared Owls, visible only under ultraviolet light. These pigments vary within the population ...

Griffith and her colleagues’ interest in the study stemmed from the fact that many owl researchers use these fluorescent feathers to age birds in the field, since the intensity of the fluorescent glow ...

Many of us have witnessed almost David vs. Goliath battles as kingbirds and scissor-tailed flycatchers dive upon much larger, predatory birds, such as hawks, and literally fly into the faces of humans ...

An Indiana hunter teaches himself to call turkeys, and ends up calling in a nice longbeard that gobbled at thunderclaps.

From helping them find mates to bettering their ability to camouflage, marks on animals and birds serve various purposes.