Owls Are Silent Night Hunters

Function

Unlike most other birds, the owl is nocturnal. It hides in the darkness of night until it silently swoops down from the trees to attack field mice and rabbits with its sharp talons. Owls are thought to fly more quietly than any other bird, and the secret to their stealth lies in the shape of the feathers of their wings. The flight feathers on the forward edges of their wings form a jagged, fringe-like arrangement that is absent in other birds. This fringe reduces wind resistance, and thus decreases the turbulence created by flapping their wings, which allows them to make very little sound when they fly.

Functional Classification

Resouce/Energy/Information Collection & Storage:
Silencing

Environmental Solution Classification

Related Literature

Technical Application

Pantographs (the object that carries electricity from overhead wires to the train) for the shinkansen (bullet train) have been outfitted with a fringe pattern similar to that of the owls’ wings in order to decrease wind resistance. This allows the trains to run at 300km per hour with minimal noise.

Products and Services

  • Pantographs for trains.

Type of Business

Proposals of Applied Technology

While much of the noise emitted by cars and trains comes from the engine and wheels, wind resistance is also responsible for a substantial portion of the generated sound. This wind noise becomes proportionally louder as the object in question moves faster. Further study of the way owls can fly silently could inspire new technology that creates quieter vehicles.

Proposals of Applied Industry

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