Barn owls, conversely, appear to experience no such age-related hearing loss. Their ears, according to new research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, are ageless.

Co-author Christine Köppl of the University of Oldenburg’s animal physiology and behavior group told Seeker “an ageless ear is possible if the regenerative mechanisms can be kept going.”

That is what she and her colleagues observed in their test subjects: seven barn owls named Weiss, Grün, Rot, Lisa, Bart, Ugle, and Sova. The owls were all hatched in captivity and lived in aviaries.

The researchers divided the owls into two groups based on their respective ages. The owls in the young group were less than 2 years old, whereas the old owls were 13–17 years old. The scientists then tested each owl on its ability to hear frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6.3, 10, and 12 kilohertz.

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The scientists trained the owls to travel from one perch to another whenever the birds heard a tone, which lasted for just an instant. Upon successful completion of the tasks, the birds received tasty food rewards. To minimize training effects, the birds were tested separately and the sequence of the various frequencies was randomized for each owl.

In addition to comparing the hearing abilities of young versus old owls, the scientists also tracked the auditory sensitivity of Weiss during his impressive lifetime. This owl lived to be 23, well beyond the typical barn owl lifespan, which is just 4 years in the wild.

All of the tests demonstrated that the owls’ hearing sensitivity was not affected by age. The findings are consistent with prior research that found birds, fish, and amphibians have the capacity to regenerate lost “hair” cells in their hearing sensory organ known as the basilar papilla. The hairs are actually long, flexible organelles that help to convert sound vibrations into electrical signals that travel to the brain along the auditory nerve.

“The regeneration mechanisms, and therefore their benefits, are likely present in all bird species,” senior author Ulrike Langemann told Seeker. “The amazing thing is that the majority of small bird species are rather short-lived, and thus will never really benefit from a preservation of auditory sensitivity at old age.”