Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

BoredPanda Add post form topAdd Post
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

People Can’t Get Over This Photo Of How An Owl Without Fur Looks Like
User submission
894
100.4K

People Can’t Get Over This Photo Of How An Owl Without Fur Looks Like

ADVERTISEMENT

Sometimes, we just wish we could press the ‘unsee’ button—and that is what happened to many of us after author Dana Schwartz tweeted a shocking picture of a naked owl. “I just googled what featherless owls look like, and I am severely shaken,” the woman writes.

The Naked Owl

Dana followed it up with a tweet where a regular owl meets her featherless relative and an owl skeleton, calling the scene the ‘spookiest meeting of all time.’

The experts seem to confirm that, yes, this is actually what these birds look like underneath their glorious owl feathers. The deputy director of World Bird Sanctuary, Jeffrey Meshach, said in the second photo, “The bird in the center is what a barn owl would look like with almost no feathers.” He added: “It’s actually a great photo showing how much feathers change the appearance of a bird skeleton.”

Why Do Owls Lose Feathers?

Beyond creating a majestic impact, feathers play other important, life-depending roles like insulation, camouflage, or the enigmatic silent flight of the owls. Unfortunately, they can turn featherless due to many reasons.

Like other birds, owls go through the natural molting cycle of shedding old feathers for new ones. However, stress, illness, or harsh environmental conditions can cause issues while molting, and the owls might end up featherless. Injuries, diseases, infections, genetic mutations, or hormonal changes will also leave the owl without feathers. 

It’s quite a rare sight to see these regal birds featherless, as it’s not a natural thing. They need special care to regrow their plumage during such times. It’s best to approach wildlife experts to provide these nocturnal wonders with the professional care they need.

A Featherless Owl Set the Internet on Fire

All the shocking owl pictures were just a little bit too much for the internet to handle, with people saying these owls without feathers in the picture might as well be dinosaurs or aliens. It also started a line of tweets showing featherless and furless animals in response to Schwartz’s horrifying photo. Here’s how people reacted to the owl without fur:

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Owl Without Feathers: Shocking and Unforgettable!

We don’t know about you guys, but we are still not over it all, especially the weirdness of the owl skull. It sure is a sight that we, or anyone for that matter, can’t forget easily. And owls will never be the same again! Did the pictures leave you questioning everything about owls, too? If so, don’t forget to leave your shocked thoughts in the comments. Also, share this with fellow bird lovers and give them a fright!

ADVERTISEMENT

100Kviews

Share on Facebook
You May Like
Popular on Bored Panda
Share your thoughts
Add photo comments
POST
casandranitescu avatar
Casandra Nițescu
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

am I the only one who isn't shocked by this? I mean, it's a featherless bird, what did you expect?

cassiewilliams avatar
Cassie
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is surprising just how little of the owl is body. I've seen chickens without feathers and even that is startling, but the owl is far more feather than even chickens.

diz_1 avatar
The Laugh Fan
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think I expected the poor bird to have a bit more muscle on it's frame. Looks very sad without it's glorious feathers.

Load More Comments
casandranitescu avatar
Casandra Nițescu
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

am I the only one who isn't shocked by this? I mean, it's a featherless bird, what did you expect?

cassiewilliams avatar
Cassie
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is surprising just how little of the owl is body. I've seen chickens without feathers and even that is startling, but the owl is far more feather than even chickens.

diz_1 avatar
The Laugh Fan
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think I expected the poor bird to have a bit more muscle on it's frame. Looks very sad without it's glorious feathers.

Load More Comments
Popular on Bored Panda
Trending on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda