The secret lies in the animal’s cervical spine, which is formed by extremely flexible vertebrae, as shown in the infographic below. However, if you think that only she is capable of performing this incredible contortionism, you are wrong. “All birds have this ability. But, as the owl’s eyes are frontal, the rotation of its head is more evident”, says biologist Elizabeth Hofling, from the University of São Paulo (USP). Swans, for example, have nearly twice as many flexible cervical vertebrae that make an owl’s head turn. The movement performed by the owl also draws more attention than that of other birds because of the misperception we have of the thickness of its neck – underneath the dense plumage, its neck is thin and articulated. By moving their heads from side to side, birds can get a wider view of where they are. In the case of owls, this agility serves to compensate for the fact that their eyes – large, but almost immobile – offer a very limited visual field.
1. One of the secrets to the rotation of the owl’s head is the number of vertebrae it has in the cervical spine. While mammals, for example, have only seven vertebrae, owls have 14.
2. In addition, these vertebrae, called heterocoels, are very flexible. Its articulation surface is shaped like a horse saddle, which allows for a greater range of motion. These two features together allow the owl to rotate its head up to 270 degrees — three-quarters of a full turn.
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