Why do owls have sensitive hearing?

Both the cat and the Barn Owl have much more sensitive hearing than the human in the range of about 0.5 to 10 kHz. ... of the minute time difference in which the sound is perceived in the left and right ear - for example, if the sound was to the left of the Owl, the left ear would hear it before the right ear. read more

Hearing sensitivity comparison of Barn Owls, Cats & Humans - As charted by M. Konishi, American Scientist Vol 61, 1973. Both the cat and the Barn Owl have much more sensitive hearing than the human in the range of about 0.5 to 10 kHz. read more

Barn Owls usually hunt for tiny Field Voles, Shrews or Wood Mice, which often come out at night and hide under long grass. read more

Owl Ears and Hearing Because Owls are generally active at night, they have a highly developed auditory (hearing) system. The ears are located at the sides of the head, behind the eyes, and are covered by the feathers of the facial disc. read more

Because Owls are generally active at night, they have a highly developed auditory (hearing) system. The ears are located at the sides of the head, behind the eyes, and are covered by the feathers of the facial disc. The"Ear Tufts" visible on some species are not ears at all, but simply display feathers. read more

Owls have sensitive hearing to help them hear their prey when they hunt. The ears are behind their eyes but hidden on each side of the face. Each ear is covered by feathers. An owl’s facial disc acts as a radar dish. With the use of the facial muscles the owl can move the sound toward its ears. read more