A fluffy and soft owl is the first thing we think of when we think of owls. It has very few down feathers, but it has downy barbules on the parts of the contour feathers closest to the skin. There are many feathers on an Owl: around the face, you’ll find feathers on the neck, crown feathers, ear-flap feathers, and even bristles on the bill. Owl feathers are unique in having comb-like leading edges on the primary wing feathers. Typical birds in-flight experience turbulence, which produces noise. A comb-like feather edge on an Owl’s wing breaks down turbulence into micro-turbulences. Owls can fly silently because of the muffled sound of air rushing over their wings. And feathers are a primary feature. It’s almost as if the two are the same. However, with time, things are changing, and we’re not sure if it’s for the better or the worse. Regardless of how it happened, the naked owl picture quickly went viral.
Dana Schwartz shared a picture of the owl without feathers on Twitter. The world cannot unsee it, regardless of how you feel about it. Viewers were left stunned when the author posted a rather bizarre and shocking photograph of the bare-naked owl. Another tweet followed up the post of the naked owl with a photo of an ordinary owl meeting its featherless relative. As soon as the picture was released, rumors spread that the image was not authentic. Experts soon handled the situation, putting all of their fears to rest.
The image was determined to be correct by experts around the world. This is how an owl without feathers looks. Jeffrey Meshach, deputy director of World Bird Sanctuary, explained:
The bird in the center is what a barn owl would look like with almost no feathers. It’s actually a great photo showing how much feathers change the appearance of a bird.
 The photograph is anything but appealing.  Many associate owls with the fuzzy and cute image that is associated with them.
Viewers have a diverse range of opinions, so it is not surprising how many different perspectives they bring forth.  Many people referred to the images as dinosaurs and aliens. Others prayed and hoped it wasn’t real. Additionally, other fascinated viewers couldn’t resist finding more similar photos.