The barn owl’s brilliant white underbelly is the key to its success as a nocturnal hunter, ... An owl’s ‘shocking’ color should hinder hunting. Scientists may have figured out why it works.

The barn owl’s brilliant white underbelly is the key to its success as a nocturnal hunter, allowing the bird to camouflage itself against the moon, according to new research.

A couple of owl colors, in particular, stand out to Mello, who says, "While black owls can symbolize the Universe or a higher power (think of a lot of religious leaders wearing black in the world ...

When the stuffed barn owl moved towards them, voles stopped moving (in other words, “froze”) for about nine seconds. Yet, freezing duration varied by barn owl plumage color and moon condition.

The influence of volcanic sulfur on barn owl colors explains less than 10 percent of the color variation, the researchers estimate. Other inputs like genetics play a major role.

The barn owl’s brilliant white underbelly is the key to its success as a nocturnal hunter, allowing the bird to camouflage itself against the moon, according to new research.

Barn owls range from white to dark reddish-brown. In the moonlight, white ones hunt more successfully. Likely, they resemble ghosts scaring their prey to immobility.

The barn owl’s brilliant white underbelly is the key to its success as a nocturnal hunter, ... An owl’s ‘shocking’ color should hinder hunting. Scientists may have figured out why it works.