Feather ear

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Close-up of a long-eared owl with clearly visible feather ears and a face veil

Feather ears are strikingly elongated head feathers that about half of all owl species developed. They consist of four to eight feathers; they have nothing to do with hearing . It is not known exactly what their function is - during courtship, in aggression situations and generally as a mood indicator, they seem to play a role together with the owl-specific face veil . Well-known "feather-ear bearers" are, for example, the long-eared owl ( Asio otus ) or the eagle owl ( Bubo bubo ).

Representatives of other species of birds have also developed feather ears, such as some pheasant species or the well-known lark ( Eremophila alpestris ), a regular winter visitor to Germany's North Sea coast.

literature

  • E. Bezzel, R. Prinzinger: Ornithology . 2nd Edition. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-8001-2597-8