Swiss Barn Owls Are Changing Colour, Study Shows

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Over the course of thirty years, the plumage of Swiss barn owls has become more reddish-brown and spotted. A long-term study by the University of Lausanne interprets this as a sign of rapidly advancing evolution, as it announced on Wednesday. This content was published on October 21, 2026 - 15:48 2 minutes Keystone-SDA

Deutsch de Warum das Gefieder von Schleiereulen rötlicher und fleckiger wird Original Read more: Warum das Gefieder von Schleiereulen rötlicher und fleckiger

According to the study report, published in the journal Nature Communications, alongside owls with immaculate white plumage, the scientists had observed an increasing number of specimens with plumage ranging from golden-brown to deep red. This was neither a chance finding nor purely cosmetic in nature.

According to the long-term study, the colour change is the result of a rapidly advancing evolutionary process. It is linked to fertility and hunting strategies, and thus also to food intake.

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