Ocular aberrations in barn owl eyes.

Optical quality in barn owl eyes is presented in terms of measuring the ocular wavefront aberrations with a standard Tscherning-type wavefront aberrometer under natural viewing conditions. While accommodative state was uncontrolled, all eyes were focused within 0.4D with respect to the plane of the aberrometer. Total RMS wavefront error was between 0.06 and 0.15 microm (mean: 0.10 microm, STD: 0.03 microm, defocus cancelled) for a 6 mm pupil. The results suggest that image quality in barn owl eyes is excellent.