Owls can rotate their necks a maximum of 270 degrees without breaking blood vessels or tearing tendons. Whereas people and other animals can simply move their eyes to follow an object or use peripheral vision to scan a room, owls must turn their heads for the same effect. These birds have fixed eye sockets, which means their eyeballs can’t rotate, forcing them to stretch their necks—a seemingly supernatural feat. Owls are more flexible than humans because a bird’s head is only connected by one socket pivot. People have two, which limits our ability to twist. Owls also have multiple vertebrae, the small bones that make up the neck and spine, helping them achieve a wide range of motion.

Source: National Geographic