Experiment! How Does An Owl Fly So Silently? | Super Powered Owls | BBC

BBC Earth2 HN recommenders · recommended in 2 months, 2020–2026

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explainer · general · evergreen · 2020–2026 on HN

A BBC Earth clip from Super Powered Owls in which the team uses sensitive sound equipment to compare owl flight with other birds. It shows why owls fly almost silently.

Linked in owl-feather and quiet-flight threads as a clear audio comparison.

Animals & nature Everyday physics & science demos #owls #birdflight #acoustics #biomimicry

4 comments from Hacker News

@Amorymeltzer2026-06 · in “The Genius of the Barn Owl's Feathers”

I also love the longer clip with the bed of feathers: ▶ this video It gives a good visual as to how much air is being moved/disturbed during the flight/glide of each.

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@seshagiric2020-05 · in “The silence of the owls”

To really appreciate how silent Owls are as compared to other birds, see this excellent video from BBC: ▶ this video

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@wingspar2020-09 · in “The Silent Flight of Owls, Explained (2017)”

BBC nature video about silent owl flight. Flight and audio comparisons of owls and some other birds. ▶ this video

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@Exmoor2020-04 · in “Unmasking Northrop Grumman's XRQ-72A”

I'm willing to bet the name "Great Horned Owl" was purposeful for a vehicle where quiet is a priority. Owls have feathers which make them essentially silent in flight. ▶ this video

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