Owls have beautiful as well as smart feathers!
Why not make a project and study feathers?
The beauty of bird feathers provides inspiration for art activities. Their smart design is perfect for young curious biomimicrist. A great way to study how feathers have evolved and to use their clever design as inspiration for searching for new possibilities.
When is it good to be quiet?
Can you invent a quiet machine or robot?
Owls have different types of feathers, and the main reason they can fly silently through the night is that their primary feathers are serrated like a comb. One edge of the feather is serrated while the other has a soft fringe edge.
Soft and fluffy down feathers help to keep them warm, and they also help to reduce the noise. These feathers are found on their wings and legs.
This idea has already left the drawing board. Companies like Siemens and Biome Renewables have built real wind turbine blades with owl-inspired serrated edges — some reducing turbine noise by up to 80%. The same “invent a quiet machine” question this post asks children to imagine is one real engineers are actively solving, right now, by copying an owl’s wing.
Photo Wikipedia
Art activity using bird feathers. Always check that you are allowed to collect the feathers. In the UK, you can keep loose feathers that you find. It is illegal to disturb a nest to collect feathers.
We used gelli printing to decorate feathers.
You’ll find the resource here.
Book Tips
Bird feathers are evolutionary wonders.
The book Feathers: Displays of Brilliant Plumage
Sources
AskNature, Wind Turbine Tech Inspired by Owl Feathers and Maple Seeds
Fast Company, These Nearly Silent Wind Turbines Have Owl-Inspired ‘Feathers’
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.
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