An owl has a facial disk and can rotate its head about 270 degrees.
Owls are birds of prey in the orders Strigiformes. Their facial disks help collect and direct sound toward the ears, which supports hunting in darkness or low light. Many owls also have asymmetrical ear openings, allowing them to estimate the vertical position of a sound source.
An owl cannot turn its head all the way around. Its neck has 14 cervical vertebrae, twice the number found in humans, and specialized blood vessels help maintain circulation while the head turns. The commonly cited rotation is about 270 degrees.
Owls are not one uniform group. Barn owls belong to Tytonidae, while typical owls belong to Strigidae. Some hunt rodents from perches, some catch insects or fish, and some are active by day. Their soft, specialized feathers can reduce the sound made by wingbeats.