What is this? 11/24/2018
Can you guess what type of bird this feather belongs to? And why is it special?
Answer: This feather is a leading primary feather on a barred owl’s wing and if you look closely, you can see the comb-like top part of the feather. This fringe is the secret to the owl’s silent flight. It breaks up noisy turbulence rushing over the wing, allowing the owl to capture its prey with stealth and lets them use their hearing to hunt without interference. Interestingly, some owls that hunt in the daytime don’t have these fringes.
