Why do owls hunt at night?
Most owls hunt at night because their prey, such as mice and voles, is active then, and owls are specially adapted to find food in the dark with sharp hearing and night vision.
Hunting at night lets owls avoid competing with daytime hunters like hawks and eagles for the same prey. Owls' huge eyes collect as much light as possible, and their retinas are packed with light-sensitive rod cells. Their eyes are tube-shaped rather than round, so they cannot move them much in their sockets.
Hearing is just as important. Many owls have a flat, dish-shaped face that funnels sound to their ears. In some species, one ear is higher than the other, helping them pinpoint sounds both left and right and up and down. A barn owl can catch a mouse in total darkness using hearing alone.
Silent flight
Owls' feathers have soft, comb-like edges that break up air turbulence, letting them fly almost silently. This helps them sneak up on prey and hear it while flying. Not all owls are nocturnal, though. Snowy owls and burrowing owls often hunt during the day.
Did You Know?
Owls cannot chew their food. They swallow prey whole or in large pieces and later cough up pellets of bones and fur.