This is the great
horned owl's time.
He's one of the largest
and most powerful owl
species in America.
As dusk turns to dark, he looks
down into a forest clearing.
His eyes are tuned for
optimal night vision.
But more importantly,
he listens.
His ear-like horns are
simply tufts of feathers.
No one knows for sure
what they're for,
but they have nothing
to do with hearing.
His real ears are hidden
under his head feathers.
They're positioned
asymmetrically.
The right one is slightly
higher than the left one.
Sound reaches one ear
a fraction of a second
later than the other.
That gives him
incredible accuracy
pinpointing the source.
A faint rustling
in the dead leaves.
It's another nighttime
hunter, a deer mouse.
He's patrolling the leaf litter,
looking for bugs and seed.
The owl hasn't quite
keyed in on the sounds,
but a turn of the
head changes that.
Its head spins a
full 270 degrees,
3/4 of a full rotation.
His ears tell his
light sensitive eyes
exactly where to look.
His two main senses are in sync.
Target locked.
Now, the owl unleashes
another secret weapon--
fringed wing feathers that
muffle any flapping sound.
It's a double advantage.
The owl can still hear
its prey while flying,
and the mouse doesn't
have a clue what's coming
and probably never
knew what hit him.
Keeping itself fed rules
a bird's daily life.
