Right about now, you might be asking yourself what exactly is a facial disk? A facial disk is composed of feathers that form a circle around its face. The disk can be lifted or lowered at will. When the feathers of the facial disk are raised, they help direct sounds to the bird’s ears. To see how this works, cup your hands behind your ears and listen. You might notice that whatever you are listening to seems louder. When a Malagasy Harrier is hunting over dense grass or other vegetation, it listens for the sounds of its prey scurrying below and knows where to aim its sharp talons.