Feather ear
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