Owls feet are covered in soft, dense feathers that act as “cooling pads” and slow down the absorption of heat from the ground.
Because owls do not fly, they need to control their body temperature differently than other birds. The way these ways is by being able to raise or lower their metabolic rate (the amount of energy they use). Unlike many daytime animals, an owl’s metabolism slows down at night when it becomes dark and cool outside – this changes its oil production within its cells so that it doesn’t have to use up energy trying to stay warm. Remember that because a bird’s legs are exposed almost all the time while flying, they need a means of regulating themselves during flight like other birds do with their down feathers. This is why birds have down feathers to keep warm when cold and fluff them up in the sun when hot. The same goes for the legs; when cold (at night) they contract blood vessels to keep warm while during the day, when hot, they expand them to be cooled by blood circulating through them.
