Experiment! How Does An Owl Fly So Silently? | Super Powered Owls | BBC on HackerTube: recommended by 2 Hacker News commenters across 2 separate months, 2020–2026.
explainer · evergreen
A BBC Earth clip from Super Powered Owls in which the team uses sensitive sound equipment to compare owl flight with other birds. It shows why owls fly almost silently.
Linked in owl-feather and quiet-flight threads as a clear audio comparison.
“To really appreciate how silent Owls are as compared to other birds, see this excellent video from BBC”
4 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.
I also love the longer clip with the bed of feathers: ▶ this video It gives a good visual as to how much air is being moved/disturbed during the flight/glide of each.
in “The Genius of the Barn Owl's Feathers” · View on HN
To really appreciate how silent Owls are as compared to other birds, see this excellent video from BBC: ▶ this video
in “The silence of the owls” · View on HN
BBC nature video about silent owl flight. Flight and audio comparisons of owls and some other birds. ▶ this video
in “The Silent Flight of Owls, Explained (2017)” · View on HN
I'm willing to bet the name "Great Horned Owl" was purposeful for a vehicle where quiet is a priority. Owls have feathers which make them essentially silent in flight. ▶ this video
in “Unmasking Northrop Grumman's XRQ-72A” · View on HN