Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
What do they eat?
They tend to go for small mammals, especially voles in the main, but will take quite large birds, frogs, earthworms and large beetles.
Where do they breed?
They are woodland birds and typically nest in holes in trees, but if you are very lucky they will use a suitable owl nest box in large and leafy gardens. They breed through March to July, with a single brood of up to three eggs.
What do they do?
Trouble is, they are nocturnal and rarely spotted. They are mobbed by small birds if these see the owl roosting in the daytime, and this may give you a chance to spot one. They are very vocal at night however, so it is a case of been heard but not seen. If you find a tree where they roost you are very likely to be able to pick up some disgorged pellets, and you can look for signs of bones, fur and feathers.
How are they doing?
Tawny owls declined in numbers by over 40% since 1970, and apparently still declining, so have Amber conservation status. There are now about 50,000 pairs in Britain.
Finding out more:
BTO profile on tawny owl
RSPB profile on tawny owls
Hawk and Owl Trust profile on tawny owls
Page written and compiled by Steve Head
Tawny Owl Strix aluco
The only owl likely to be seen (or heard!) in gardens, but recorded in less than 5% of them
.jpg "Tawny owl Photo: By Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12691242")
What do they look like?
They average 38cm in length, with the smaller male weighing in at 420g and females at 520g. The wings and upper parts are brown to greyish, with lighter underparts with broad dark streaks. Their head seems very large in proportion, and there is a distinct lighter face mask around the eyes.
What do they sound like?
The male has that eerie “wooo-wooo” hoot which marks territory. Both sexes have a “kee-wick” call, and when they duet they make the Shakespearean “tu-whit tu-whoo” song.
Female "Kee-wick" Male hoot (plus bonus red deer) Duet
David Tattersley, XC701886. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/701886.
Dominique Guillerme, XC701526. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/701526.
Tony Rinaud, XC678648. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/678648.
What do they eat?
They tend to go for small mammals, especially voles in the main, but will take quite large birds, frogs, earthworms and large beetles.
Where do they breed?
They are woodland birds and typically nest in holes in trees, but if you are very lucky they will use a suitable owl nest box in large and leafy gardens. They breed through March to July, with a single brood of up to three eggs.
What do they do?
Trouble is, they are nocturnal and rarely spotted. They are mobbed by small birds if these see the owl roosting in the daytime, and this may give you a chance to spot one. They are very vocal at night however, so it is a case of been heard but not seen. If you find a tree where they roost you are very likely to be able to pick up some disgorged pellets, and you can look for signs of bones, fur and feathers.
How are they doing?
Tawny owls declined in numbers by over 40% since 1970, and apparently still declining, so have Amber conservation status. There are now about 50,000 pairs in Britain.
Finding out more:
Page written and compiled by Steve Head
What do they look like?
They average 38cm in length, with the smaller male weighing in at 420g and females at 520g. The wings and upper parts are brown to greyish, with lighter underparts with broad dark streaks. Their head seems very large in proportion, and there is a distinct lighter face mask around the eyes.
What do they sound like?
The male has that eerie “wooo-wooo” hoot which marks territory. Both sexes have a “kee-wick” call, and when they duet they make the Shakespearean “tu-whit tu-whoo” song.
Female "Kee-wick" Male hoot (plus bonus red deer) Duet
Tawny Owl Strix aluco
The only owl likely to be seen (or heard!) in gardens, but recorded in less than 5% of them.
