A team of scientists have recently developed a new coating which mimics the unique wing structure of owls.

Owls are often considered nature's stealth fighters and their ability to silently fly out in sky is a result of a unique wing structure which is not found in any bird.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge, Virginia Tech, Lehigh University, and Florida Atlantic University studied an owl's wing under a microscope.

They found that owl's flight feathers had a unique soft furry covering, a flexible array of bristles along its leading edge, and a porous fringe coming off the trailing edge.

Researchers hope that this unique owl wing structure can substantially reduce noise in aircraft, wind turbines and computers.

Early wind tunnel tests of the coating have shown a substantial reduction in noise without any noticeable effect on aerodynamics, researchers said.

As the wind turbines are heavily braked in order to minimize noise, the addition of this new surface would mean that they could be run at much higher speeds producing more energy while making less noise.

Lead researcher professor Nigel Peake of University of Cambridge said, "Many owls can hunt by stealth, swooping down and capturing their prey undetected".

After studying the owl's wings, researchers also found that owl wings also have a flexible comb of evenly spaced bristles along their leading edge, and a porous and elastic fringe on the trailing edge.

Peake said most of the noise that is caused due to wings originates at the trailing edge where the air passing over the wing surface is turbulent. The structure of an owl's wing serves to reduce noise by smoothing the passage of air as it passes over the wing, scattering the sound so their prey can't hear them coming, Peake added.