Great Horned Owl on the Hunt | Nat Geo Wild

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 seeds. 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. Three quarters 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.