Schleiereule

barn owl

noun SHLY-er-oy-le Rare

Usage Note

Schleiereule (Tyto alba) has a heart-shaped facial disc (Schleier = veil) that channels sound to its asymmetrically placed ears, giving it exceptional hearing to hunt in complete darkness. It nests in barns, church towers, and old buildings.

Examples

"Die Schleiereule jagte lautlos über das Feld und erbeutete eine Feldmaus."

Natural Translation

The barn owl hunted silently over the field and caught a field vole.

Literal Translation

The barn-owl hunted silently over the field and caught a field-mouse.

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