The image of an owl is often linked to the silent, moonlit night, reinforcing the assumption that all members of the order Strigiformes are strictly nocturnal predators. While the majority of the world’s approximately 200 owl species are most active under the cover of darkness, this view overlooks their diversity. A significant number of species are naturally active during twilight or even broad daylight. Observing an owl flying during the day is not always a sign of distress, but rather a glimpse into the flexible hunting strategies that allow these raptors to thrive across virtually all environments.
Why Most Owls Hunt at Night
The prevailing nocturnal lifestyle for most owls is the result of highly specialized biological adaptations that provide a distinct advantage in low-light conditions. Their visual system features enormous, tubular eyes that are fixed in their sockets, requiring the owl to rotate its neck up to 270 degrees to scan its surroundings. This eye structure is packed with a high density of rod cells, the photoreceptors responsible for detecting light and movement, allowing them to see clearly with as little as one-hundredth the amount of light required by a human eye.
This exceptional low-light vision is complemented by a sophisticated auditory system, which is often a more reliable tool for pinpointing prey in total darkness. Many species, such as the Barn Owl, possess asymmetrically placed ear openings—one higher than the other—which creates a minute difference in the time sound waves reach each ear. The owl’s brain uses this time difference to instantaneously calculate the exact horizontal and vertical location of the sound source, even if the prey is hidden beneath vegetation or snow.
A parabolic facial disc of stiff feathers acts like a satellite dish, funneling faint sounds directly toward the ears to increase detection sensitivity. Specialized flight feathers secure a silent approach, having a serrated leading edge and a soft, velvety surface that muffles the sound of air passing over the wings. This unique feather structure allows the owl to approach its prey undetected. The combination of these adaptations significantly reduces competition, as the owls fill a predatory niche largely avoided by diurnal raptors like hawks and eagles.
Species That Are Active During Daylight Hours
Not all owls conform to the nocturnal pattern; many species are naturally active during the day (diurnal) or during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk (crepuscular). These differences in activity are primarily driven by the availability of prey and the specific environmental conditions of their habitats. Crepuscular species, like the Barred Owl and Short-eared Owl, take advantage of the reduced light when many small mammals are most active and competition from other predators is minimized.
The Northern Hawk Owl is a prominent example of a purely diurnal species, hunting voles and small birds in the open boreal forests of the far north. This species exhibits hunting behaviors more typical of a hawk, often perching on high points to scan for prey in areas where the low angle of the sun provides continuous daylight for much of the hunting season. The Burrowing Owl, found in open grasslands and deserts, is also highly diurnal, actively hunting insects and small vertebrates during the day.
The Snowy Owl is another large species frequently observed in daylight, an adaptation to its Arctic tundra habitat. In the high latitudes where it lives, summer months experience continuous daylight, forcing the owl to hunt during the day to survive. When Snowy Owls migrate south in winter, they maintain this diurnal pattern, making them one of the most visible species to people in temperate regions.
Situations That Force Daytime Flight
Even for the strictly nocturnal species, daytime flight is typically prompted by specific, immediate needs or disturbances. The most common reason a nocturnal owl will risk flying during the day is the overwhelming motivation to secure food, especially during the breeding season. When feeding a nest of hungry owlets, the demand for prey can become so high that the parents must extend their hunting efforts into the daylight hours to meet the needs of their young.
Another frequent cause for an owl to be seen flying in the sun is displacement from its daytime roosting site. If a sleeping owl is disturbed by human activity, a domestic pet, or a predatory mammal, it will be forced to move to a new, safer location, often making a short flight in full daylight. Nocturnal owls that are migrating between seasonal ranges may continue their journey during the day if they stop in an exposed or unsuitable area.
The behavior known as “mobbing” is also a strong trigger for daytime flight, where smaller, diurnal birds like crows, jays, or songbirds aggressively harass and dive-bomb a resting owl. These smaller birds view the owl as a threat to their nests and young, and they will relentlessly attack it to drive it out of the area. This forces the larger raptor to take flight and seek a more secluded perch, often providing the first time many people witness a typically nocturnal owl in the air.