If you’re a vole, beware white owls when it’s full moon

If you’re a vole, beware white owls when it’s full moon

Barn owls
Nestling barn owls with varying colourations. Credit: Alexandre Voulin.

The plumage of white barn owls (Tyto alba) appears to be a unique evolutionary quirk that helps them catch common voles (Microtus arvalis), their key prey.

Although the nocturnal owls can’t camouflage themselves under bright moonlight like their brown counterparts, their white feathers reflect the light, exploiting the rodents’ aversion to “flash” lights and causing them to freeze for longer.

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Published by Cosmos Magazine.

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