Owl
Families
(Strigidae and Tytonidae)
ORDER:
Strigiformes
The two Owl Families include:
Tawny Owl
Strix
aluco
These impressive looking birds are richly coloured in patterns of brown, gold and cream. There is also a paler version of the Tawny Owl, which is a grey and pale brown.
They are nocturnal, which means they are active at night. This is when they go hunting. Tawny Owls have large eyes, which help them see small animals in the darkness. The large deep brown eyes stare out from a round face.
They have sharp talons (claws) with which they catch their prey. Their legs are short, and covered with feathers. They also have sharp beaks, which they use to rip flesh.
The females
are slightly larger than the males.
Habitat
The Tawny Owl is common in woods, and can also be found in large parks.
Tawny Owls hunt and eat mice, rats, birds (often taken while they are sleeping), rabbits and large insects.
The nest is usually in a hollow tree, but sometimes, it is in a hole in a wall, or in even in the ground.
Three or four eggs are laid. The female keeps the eggs warm for 28 to 30 days, which is quite a long time compared to other birds.
Tawny Owls sometimes manage to raise two broods in a single season. The young owls are cared for, for quite a long time. Both parents feed the young owls for up to five weeks in the nest.
The Tawny Owl is a resident to England, Scotland and Wales, and it breeds in all three of these countries.
The Tawny Owl makes an enchanting "hohoohooooooo" call, as well as a "Tuwhit".
38 cm.
