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NARRATOR: Owls flourish in
every corner of the world,

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from extreme desert heat
to harsh arctic cold.

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Yet wherever they're found,
owls all share a common trait--

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superior senses.

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From head to claw, owls
are perfectly suited

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to their hunting lifestyles.

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Large, front-facing
eyes provide exceptional

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long-distance vision.

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This northern hawk owl can
pinpoint a tasty vole from half

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a mile away by eyesight alone.

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Some owl eyes, like
those of this barred owl,

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account for up to 3% of
their total body weight.

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To put that in
perspective, human eyes

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only make up three
ten-thousandths of a percent

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of our total weight.

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Owls' large eyes are
also specifically adapted

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for low-light
conditions, allowing

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them to see in the dark perhaps
eight times better than humans.

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Unlike our eyes' ability
to move side to side,

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owl eyes are fixed
in their sockets.

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Instead, they swivel their
necks up to 270 degrees,

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allowing them to see in
nearly every direction.

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Rotating their heads also
enables owls to better

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hone in on sounds around them.

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Their hearing is super tuned.

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Some owls have
flattened, dish-like

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faces that focus and amplify
sounds to their ears.

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Others have
asymmetrical ears that

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allow sounds to be identified
in multiple dimensions.

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The great gray owl has both.

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This heightened hearing
allows them to locate

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the slightest rustling of prey,
whether on the ground or even

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below it.

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This great gray
owl can detect prey

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as much as two feet under snow.

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Once zeroed in, it dive-bombs
its unsuspecting meal.

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Unlike most birds, owls make
little noise while flying.

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Soft, serrated feathers
serve as a silencer,

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breaking up the turbulent
air that would typically

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create a swooshing sound.

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These quiet birds
are able to hunt

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without alerting their
prey, such as rodents,

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lizards, and even insects.

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Without the sound of their
wings beating in the air,

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owls home in on their prey
with impeccable precision.

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With their super-powered
senses, owls are among the most

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masterful stealth hunters.

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Who knew?