Tawny owl
The tawny owl, a nocturnal bird found across Europe, northern Africa, and parts of Asia, is recognized for its distinctive hooting calls that mark its territory. This medium-sized owl typically measures between 15 and 18 inches in length and boasts soft plumage in shades of brown, beige, and cream. With a wingspan of about 32 to 41 inches, the tawny owl is an exceptional hunter, preying on smaller birds, small mammals, and even fish near water sources. It uses its keen sense of hearing to locate prey from its roosting perch, relying on its sharp talons to catch its meals.
Mating occurs from January to July, during which tawny owls select nesting sites in tree cavities or abandoned nests. The female lays one to nine eggs, which hatch about a month later. While young tawny owls can fly by five weeks, they remain dependent on their parents until they are around three months old. Despite facing threats from predators such as foxes and goshawks, tawny owls are not currently considered threatened and can live up to 20 years, longer in captivity. Their calls and presence enrich the woodlands and parks they inhabit, making them an integral part of their ecosystems.
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Tawny owl
The tawny owl announces its territorial boundaries by calling out a distinct hooting sound. Although the tawny owl is nocturnal, or night-active, and is rarely seen, its hoot is commonly heard throughout its range. The tawny owl is an excellent hunter and often preys upon other owls, such as the little owl. The tawny owl can be found throughout Europe, northern Africa, and Asia.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Strix
Species: Aluco
The tawny owl generally grows to a length of between 15 and 18 inches (37 and 46 centimeters) and a weight of between 13 1/2 and 28 ounces (385 and 800 grams). The tawny owl has soft, downy, brown, beige, and cream plumage, or feathering. Its head is large and flat on the front with large, round, black eyes, and a tiny beak. The tawny owl has a wingspan of about 32 to 41 inches (81 to 105 centimeters).
The tawny owl may be heard throughout the countryside of Europe, northern Africa, and parts of Asia by its hooting call, bubbling trill, and hissing noise. These calls can typically be traced to the farmland and woodland areas which the tawny owl inhabits. The tawny owl may be found in evergreen and deciduous trees. Deciduous trees are ones which lose their leaves sometime during the year. In cities, the tawny owl is often found in the wooded areas of parks and cemeteries.
As a carnivore, or meat-eater, the tawny owl feeds on a variety of creatures including smaller birds, amphibians, worms, beetles, and small mammals, such as rodents and shrews. Some tawny owls which live near ponds or creeks also catch fish. Like many other owls, the tawny owl is nocturnal, or night-active. The tawny owl finds its prey by its excellent sense of hearing. It can pinpoint the exact location of its prey without seeing the creature at all. The tawny owl listens for its prey from a roosting, or resting, perch high in the trees. Once it has located its prey, the tawny owl descends upon the creature, snatching it with its long, sharp talons, or claws. Like some other owls, the tawny owl regurgitates, or spits-up, pellets made of the prey's remains, such as bones, fur, and feathers.
Mating season for the tawny owl takes place from January to July when it forms a pair and selects a nest site. A pair of tawny owls may use a hole in a mature tree, the abandoned nest of another birds, or a crevice in a rock or building as its nesting site. The male tawny owl courts, or attracts, the female tawny owl by bringing her food for several weeks. After mating, the female lays between one and nine eggs. Since she lays the eggs one at a time over a period of a few days, the young do not all hatch at the same time. As the female lays the eggs, she begins incubating, or warming, them with her body heat. After about one month all of the young have hatched. The young are first able to fly when they are about five weeks old, but they are not forced out of the nest until they are about three months old. The young are fed by their parents until they leave the nest. There is a high death rate among young tawny owls since they are forced to leave the nest when they are still very young.
Tawny owls may be preyed on by foxes, goshawks, other owl species, and buzzards. The tawny owl has a life span of up to 20 years. They live longer in captivity. The tawny owl is not a threatened species.
Bibliography
Diaz, Katrina. “ADW: Strix Aluco: Information.” Animal Diversity Web, 2011, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Strix‗aluco. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024.
“Tawny Owl Facts.” The Barn Owl Trust, 2024, www.barnowltrust.org.uk/barn-owl-facts/uk-owl-species/tawny-owl-facts. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024.