Snow white owl struts its stuff. By Bailey Johnson. September 27, 2011 / 10:48 AM EDT ... If this is how they look on the ground, why did owls ever try flying in the first place?

The barn owl’s brilliant white underbelly is the key to its success as a nocturnal hunter, allowing the bird to camouflage itself against the moon, according to new research.

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013, a snowy owl sits content on the chimney of a home in Eggertsville, N.Y. (P Photo/The Buffalo News, Robert Kirkham) ALBANY, N.Y. -- Snow-white owls ...

The barn owl’s brilliant white underbelly is the key to its success as a nocturnal hunter, allowing the bird to camouflage itself against the moon, according to new research.

Barn owls range from white to dark reddish-brown. In the moonlight, white ones hunt more successfully. Likely, they resemble ghosts scaring their prey to immobility.

Because live owls would be difficult to work with, the team exposed the voles to three taxidermied barn owls—one white and two red—that had been shaped into a flying position.

DETROIT — It's December, and the snow is flying in the Upper Peninsula and other parts of Michigan. It's also landing, feeding and getting its photo taken. A large flock of migrating snowy owls ...

Video of the barred owl flying through the Northern Virginia home has delighted viewers and spread cheer. ... a barred owl, specifically, with dark eyes and white, brown and gray feathers.