If you've never heard the sound of an owl flying, you're not alone. The birds' wings are nearly noiseless in flight, and now, they've caught the attention of researchers.

A research group is studying what makes owls' flights so silent, and hopes to apply that "technology" to create quieter aircraft, wind turbines and submarines.

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Owl wings have three physical features that make them noiseless, the team explains. First, there's a comb of stiff feathers along the front edge of the wing. Second, the wing's back edge has a flexible fringe of soft feathers; stiff back edges on other birds' wings lead to a lot of in-flight noise. And third, a downy material on the top of the wing acts like a soft carpet; when wind passes over the wing's velvety top-side, noise is cancelled.

Scientists are now looking for ways that these feathery features can be applied to man-made technology.

"If the noise-reduction mechanism of the owl down can be established, there may be far-reaching implications to ... vibrations for aircraft and wind turbines," Justin Jaworski, assistant professor at Pennsylvania's Lehigh University, said in a statement.

The team presented their findings at the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics meeting on Sunday.

Homepage image: Flickr, jennicatpink