J Anat July 2017 PMID 28449202

Barn owls maximize head rotations by a combination of yawing and rolling in functionally diverse regions of the neck.

Markus Krings, John A Nyakatura, Mark L L M Boumans, Martin S Fischer, Hermann Wagner

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Mentions

Peak: 35 in Feb 2021

across 3 sources since Aug 2020

Extended reach

3,804,782

potential audience

Total likes

23,263

Video views

319,103

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Aug 2020 – Aug 2025

Where it's discussed

X / Twitter51 posts
News6 articles
YouTube3 videos

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What people are saying

The overall tone reflects high curiosity about owl anatomy and behavior, exemplified by statements like 'Owls are so damn cool' and sharing of informative YouTube videos describing owl eyes. The words and tone reveal enthusiasm and fascination, with some users engaging through sharing personal insights or additional sources, indicating moderate depth of engagement but limited broader impact.

AgreementNeither agree nor disagree

The discussions express genuine curiosity rather than direct agreement or disagreement with the article's content.

InterestHigh interest

Multiple discussions highlight fascination with owl anatomy and behaviors, demonstrating high interest.

EngagementModerate engagement

Some posts share interesting facts or personal comments, showing moderate engagement, but few provide detailed analysis.

ImpactNeutral impact

While fascinating, the discussions seem more about personal interest rather than indicating a significant influence on wider fields or policies.

Abstract in brief

Barn owls achieve their remarkable neck rotation of over 270 degrees through a combination of yawing and rolling movements in different regions of their necks, with the upper part showing the greatest mobility.
Using X-ray, CT scans, and biomechanical analysis, the study found that the cervical spine is divided into several functional regions, each contributing differently to head rotation, with the upper region enabling extensive yawing and rolling.
The neck's design allows for lateral head shifts during large rotations by combining movements across various cervical joints, optimizing the owl's ability to rotate its head efficiently while maintaining neck stability.

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All mentions

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Understanding Owl Head Movements and Anatomy

This talk explores the unique anatomical features of owls, focusing on their head rotations facilitated by a combination of yawing and rolling in diverse neck regions. Discover the fascinating biology that allows these…

Coral Sheldon-Hess · Aug 9, 2020 527 views

Complete Stranger

@CompleteStran10 · X

@balelorn2 @varshaparmar06 https://t.co/m1LXTBZFWR

Aug 3, 2025 · 172 followers View post →

guo9cheng

@guo9cheng · X

Found an interesting video while I study the eyes of birds. https://t.co/PR4sgefzwK

Jul 29, 2025 · 52 followers View post →

robinmuirhead

@robinmuirhead · X

Owls are so damn cool

Aug 14, 2023 · 6,199 followers View post →

патріотка України

@ae4511nc · X

RT @Ateralba: до лекції @Paleo_Daddy (дякую, Вадиме) щодо очей динозаврів та птахів, подивіться. там про склеротикальні кільця, більшість л…

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Asta Legios

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Mrjonno

@mrjonnotweet · X

@treetab_co I now know more about owls than I did 10 minutes ago. https://t.co/FyJDE3263C

Apr 10, 2022 · 2,153 followers View post →

Paul Klein

@SgtWRC · X

@UberFacts Had to see how this works....https://t.co/6wlMfi6III

Jan 19, 2022 · 621 followers View post →

DCSnowyOwl

@DCSnowyOwl · X

Hey, you should learn more about my eyes and how they work. Did you know they are fixed? They don’t move. But I have a flexible neck and can rotate my head to compensate. https://t.co/dDXtpnuc63

Jan 18, 2022 · 10 likes · 1,409 followers View post →

@coral@code4lib.social

@BirdFriendCoral · X

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RedClayContessa

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#RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/iyTA3SRmFa https://t.co/zyMqyXlJ5O

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Joel Amsterdam

@jamsterdam1 · X

Fascinating. Owl Eyes Are Shaped Like Tubes, Here's Why https://t.co/LutOnMrE0x via @YouTube

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JacquesV

@JacquesV4 · X

RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HK4Hd https://t.co/A6i2yNEv9N

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Dr. Olaf K. Krueger

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#RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/iyTA3SRmFa https://t.co/H3lvgzZB8j

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Mary

@MaryGre48969554 · X

RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

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Fandomguy (Destructive Creation arc)

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RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

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HowSoThen

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RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/P9JpvBt35c

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Nevada S. Huaute

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RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/P9JpvBt35c

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Morgan

@morgothedrelb · X

RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/P9JpvBt35c

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Magdalena Vlahova

@Magdalena_919 · X

RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/P9JpvBt35c

Feb 5, 2021 · 9 shares · 116 followers View post →

David Stoltz

@_davidstoltz65 · X

RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/P9JpvBt35c

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Feb 5, 2021 · 30 likes · 9 shares · 428,838 followers View post →

Eddi

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RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

Feb 5, 2021 · 18 shares · 7,096 followers View post →

LunaticFringer

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RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

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M Karim Shah

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RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

Feb 5, 2021 · 18 shares · 304 followers View post →

Laurie Skrivan

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RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

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Shailja #FreePalestine Patel

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RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

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hid.eth

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J8merson

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RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

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Emily Pember

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RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

Feb 5, 2021 · 18 shares · 1,431 followers View post →

Kimmo H

@chihuu · X

RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

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NowThis Impact

@nowthisimpact · X

RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

Feb 5, 2021 · 18 shares · 2,463,421 followers View post →

anil goel

@1967Anil · X

RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

Feb 5, 2021 · 18 shares · 2,901 followers View post →

Dr. Olaf K. Krueger

@drokkrueger · X

#RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/iyTA3SRmFa https://t.co/oswrgRxjQ7

Feb 5, 2021 · 784 followers View post →

imad abdulaziz

@imad403 · X

RT @Seeker: Here's how owls see behind themselves and what makes their eyes so powerful. https://t.co/0l0w8HstiD https://t.co/3wMG6WlJwx

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Chuck

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Chuck liked this video "Owl Eyes Are Shaped Like Tubes, Here's Why"

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Owl Eyes Are Shaped Like Tubes, Here's Why https://t.co/ZP8rqrNcnO via @YouTube

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Owl Eyes Are Shaped Like Tubes, Here's Why https://t.co/eXddoX6p0L via @YouTube

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Owl Eyes Are Shaped Like Tubes, Here's Why https://t.co/pzdqTv3gcq via @YouTube

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boxnos

@boxnos · X

何回も言ってるけど、このシリーズが好き過ぎる。動物への愛に溢れてる。 Owl Eyes Are Shaped Like Tubes, Here's Why - YouTube https://t.co/OIObRD9ErW

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Tyto Novæhollandiæ

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https://t.co/6RKuGeIxEL

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@coral@code4lib.social

@BirdFriendCoral · X

Jeffrey Ward knows way more than this informal owl talk I gave a couple of weeks ago covered, so I'm doing a sneaky second tweet, hoping he doesn't see it and (:fret:) find something I got wrong. But for those of us who do NOT know enough about owls: https://t.co/BjIgxBWo96

Aug 23, 2020 · 634 followers View post →

Dr Scott Abbott Paterson

@sxpat · X

Fell down a #googlescholar rabbit hole! Very interesting #anatomy https://t.co/1SLgk1oKn4 https://t.co/NHy0aM9joV

Aug 5, 2020 · 1 like · 1,118 followers View post →

Barn owls maximize head rotations by a combination of yawing and rolling in functionally diverse regions of the neck.

Mentions per month

Where it's discussed

What people are saying

Abstract in brief

Top posts

All mentions

The Unique Biology of Owls Explained

Understanding Owl Eye Anatomy and Vision Enhancement

Understanding Owl Head Movements and Anatomy