Silent flight

Why can an owl fly almost silently? The owl hunts at night and wants to make as little noise as possible in order not to frighten his prey.

Much research has been done into the properties of wings and feathers of various species of birds. The shape and the mobility of the wings and the structure of the feathers play a role here. On the photos with details of the feathers of a barn owl, it can be seen how nature has made it possible to fly silently.

The flexible feathers on the rear wing edges ensure that owls cause fewer sound waves when flying by converting the turbulences of the air into micro turbulences. But also the fluffy material with which the top of the wings is covered, makes a lot of difference according to the scientists. On the pictures one can see fluffy hair on top of the feather and a very fine flared texture on the side of the feather.

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