McGowan suspects the barn owl chicks in the video ... They may have a bit of the soft downy plumage, but they largely look like embryos and accumulate body feathers over time.

To make up for this, they have filoplumes—small hair-like feathers on their beaks ... hoot belongs to the great horned owl, but there's more to hear. The barn owl, for instance, emits a harsh ...

These owl pellets usually contain bones ... Over three to four weeks, they will lose those downy feathers and become a bit more sleek. After fledging, the parents will continue to take care ...

According to Tarr, the owl “had some pretty serious injuries, some broken bones, and a bad eye,” and feathers from another owl were implanted “like hair extensions.” “And off he goes. Beautiful,” Barr ...

Julie Maggert, one of a handful of people to have snapped a picture of the owl, says she enjoys the mystery. (Julie Maggert) He says his group did not paint the feathers for tracking purposes ...