A sound coming from above will sound slightly louder in the ear with the higher ear opening. This allows the owl to pinpoint its prey accurately. Finally, the owl's entire face acts as an outer ear. The face is shaped like two parabolic curves or satellite dishes that funnels sound to the ears. The facial feathers are also compact and tight to aid in the funneling process.
Ear tufts make the owl appear larger, helping it to ward off predators.
Birds have relatively large eyes in relation to the size of the head. A human eye weighs less than 1 percent of the weight of the head. Owl eyes are so large that there is little room in their skulls for eye muscles. Thus, an owl turns its head, sometimes as much as 270 degrees, rather than its eyes, to follow a moving object. It has been said that the difference between the hunter and the hunted is evident in the eyes.