The temporal delay between the arrival of a sound at the higher and lower ear is processed by the brain to give the owl an accurate sense of the vertical distance to its prey. Many owl species have asymmetrical ears that are different sizes and different heights on their heads. Owls do have ears and in fact they have a very keen sense of hearing.

Owls have long been cultural symbols, and they have been found in cave paintings in France, in Egyptian hieroglyphics, and even in Mayan art. read more These animals do however have a keener sense of hearing when it comes to detecting certain frequencies, which can be especially helpful when hunting their prey. Baby owls are called owlets. They have holes in the sides of their head that serve as ears. Others have asymmetrical placement, where an ear on one side of the head is located above the one on the other side of the head, which increases their ability to locate sound on a vertical axis. Great horned owl (Photo: Wiki Commons). The ears are located at the sides of the head, behind the eyes, and are covered by the feathers of the facial disc. The “Ear Tufts” visible on some species are not ears at all, but simply display feathers. The "Ear Tufts" visible on some species are not ears at all, but simply display feathers. Owls need large, forward-facing eyes to gather scarce light during their nocturnal hunts, and evolution couldn't spare the musculature to allow these eyes to rotate. These animals do however have a keener sense of hearing when it comes to detecting certain frequencies, which can … Each ear is covered by feathers. Fact 3: Owl Ears Are In Different Places Owls have sensitive hearing to help them hear their prey when they hunt. With the use of the facial muscles the owl can move the sound toward its ears. It’s thought that this asymmetry helps the owls in orienting sound. An owl’s facial disc acts as a radar dish. Great horned owls have prominent ear tufts atop their head, one of several owl species that possess ear tufts.

An adaptation is a characteristic that helps give an owl species its best chance at survival. Some owls have astonishingly flexible necks that let them turn their heads three-quarters of a circle, or 270 degrees, compared to 90 degrees for the average human being. The range of sounds that owls are able to hear doesn’t actually differ from that of humans very much. Owls do have ears and in fact they have a very keen sense of hearing. The ears are located at the sides of the head, behind the eyes, and are covered by the feathers of the facial disc. The largest recorded owl fossil, Orinmegalonyx oteroi, stood about three feet tall. The ears are behind their eyes but hidden on each side of the face. The range of sounds that owls are able to hear doesn’t actually differ from that of humans very much. Owls have been found in the fossil record up to 58 million years ago. Some owls have ears located directly across from each other, in symmetrical placement. Owls live in many different environments but have evolved in order to stay near the top of the food chain.

Owl adaptations include feathers for silent flight, facial discs, asymmetrical ears, … Owl Ears. The interesting thing is that diurnal owls (like burrowing owls) have symmetrical ruffs, while nocturnal owls have asymmetrical ruffs. Several owls species have ear tufts on their heads but they aren't ears at all. This relates directly to Fact 3 below. Because Owls are generally active at night, they have a highly developed auditory (hearing) system. Because Owls are generally active at night, they have a highly developed auditory (hearing) system. Owls don't have big ears. Great horned owls have prominent ear tufts atop their head, one of several owl species that possess ear tufts. This gives the birds superior hearing and the ability to pinpoint where prey is located, even if they can't see it.