The silent killers.
When it comes to birds of prey, and predators in general, owls can be some of the most discrete creatures in the animal kingdom.
First off, they’re nocturnal so they prey at night, and on top of that, they have incredible night vision. But what’s more, they are also the only bird that flies in complete silence. Most birds create noise and vibration flapping their wings, but not owls… dead silent.
This means their prey typically have no idea they’re coming.
So, you can imagine that this means owls are great hunters.
With that being said, here’s a perfect example.
This video footage comes out of Israel.
Trail camera footage was observing two harriers, simply hanging out on what appears to be a nest in a tree or the side of a rock wall.
Then, all of a sudden you see two little dots in the distance behind them… owl eyes. An eagle owl swoops in from out of nowhere, latching onto one of the harriers with its talons, and sending it on its way as a late night meal.
Needless to say, the harrier didn’t stand a chance in this one… just straight-up snatched on the fly.
The caption to the video reads:
“In a nest in Israel, two juvenile harriers are about to face the unexpected. Unprepared and blissfully unaware, they have no idea what’s about to hit them as the eerie glow of an eagle owl’s eyes creeps closer and closer in the dark.
The owl, a master of the night, strikes with chilling swiftness, taking one chick and leaving the other in stunned disbelief.”
Check it out:
