The tawny owl is a woodland predator superbly adapted to nocturnal hunting. Its large, forward-facing eyes enable it to see well in the dark and judge distances accurately, and its hearing is extremely sharp. When hunting, the owl perches on a branch, watching and listening for prey. When it hears a rustle caused by a wood mouse or other small mammal, it glides down to seize the animal in its sharp talons, and carries it off in its short, curved bill. The owl's soft feathers enable it to fly silently, so that its victims do not hear it approaching, and so giving them no time to make their escape.