Here's An Adorable Little Owl Bobbing His Head. You're Welcome
At first glance, this young spotted owl's head bobs seem to be some sort of sweet, sweet avian dance move:
(Clip via RATHIKA RAMASAMY PHOTOGRAPHY/Facebook. For the whole video, check it out here.)
But this owlet doesn't actually want to cut a rug - in this video from wildlife photographer Rathika Ramasamy, he's just trying to check you out. Owls move their heads to tweak depth perception and focus, John Rowden, an ornithologist with the National Audubon Society, wrote in an email to The Dodo.
Before you start bobbing your head to better read this post, bear in mind that owl eyes and human eyes are two altogether distinct breeds. (Owls, in general, are thought to be perpetually farsighted.) "Their visual setup is so different than ours that it's difficult to put ourselves in their place," Rowden wrote. "It's hard to know exactly" how the owl is trying to zoom in on his surroundings.
Owls' comparatively giant, dewy eyes help them soak up as much available light as possible during their nocturnal hunts for prey. Rather than chase down a meal, spotted owls prefer to sit and wait under cover of darkness for a hapless squirrel or mouse to cross their path.
Spotted owls aren't the only ones who bob their heads - this snowy owl's got a few moves of his own, too: