It nests from February onwards in the south of its range, but rarely before mid-March in Scandinavia. The glossy white eggs are 48 x 39 mm 1. The typical clutch of two or three eggs is incubated by the female alone for 30 days to hatching, and the altricial, downy chicks fledge in a further 35—39 days. The young usually leave the nest up to ten days before fledging, and hide on nearby branches.
Because its flight is silent, it may not be detected until it is too late to avoid the danger. Dogs, cats and humans may be assaulted, sometimes without provocation. The Red Fox kills many young owls. The parents care for young birds for two or three months after they fledge, but from August to November the juveniles disperse to find a territory of their own to occupy.
If they fail to find a vacant territory, they usually starve. The juvenile survival rate is unknown, but the annual survival rate for adults is The typical lifespan is 5 years, but an age of over 18 years has been recorded for a wild Tawny Owl, and of over 27 years for a captive bird.
Pine Martens may raid nests, especially where artificial nest boxes make the owls easy to find, and several instances have been recorded of Eurasian Jackdaws building nests on top of a brooding female Tawny Owl leading to the death of the adult and chicks. Feeding The Bank Vole is a common prey item. The Tawny Owl hunts almost entirely at night, watching from a perch before dropping or gliding silently down to its victim, but very occasionally it will hunt in daylight when it has young to feed.
This species takes a wide range of prey, mainly woodland rodents, but also other mammals up to the size of a young rabbit, and birds, earthworms and beetles.
In urban areas, birds make up a larger proportion of the diet, and species as unlikely as Mallard and Kittiwake have been killed and eaten.
Prey is typically swallowed whole, with indigestible parts regurgitated as pellets or casts. These are medium-sized and grey, consisting mainly of rodent fur and often with bones protruding, and are found in groups under trees used for roosting or nesting. Less powerful woodland owls such as the Little Owl and the Long-eared Owl cannot usually co-exist with the stronger Tawny, which may take them as food items, and are found in different habitats. Similarly, where the Tawny Owl has moved into built-up areas, it tends to displace Barn Owls from their traditional nesting sites in buildings.
In culture A grey bird, probably subspecies S. Like other owls, tawny owl can famously turn their head through degrees and are able to look behind them. Although owls have binocular vision, their forward-facing eyes cannot move in their sockets, so they must turn their heads instead. How people can help The Wildlife Trusts are working closely with farmers, landowners and developers to promote wildlife-friendly practices.
Across town and country, The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves for the benefit of the wildlife they support. You can help by supporting your local Trust and becoming a member; you'll find out about exciting wildlife news, events on your doorstep and volunteering opportunities, and will be helping local wildlife along the way.
Get involved Ways to get involved and help wildlife and support your Wildlife Trust. Where to see birds of prey Find the best Wildlife Trusts nature reserves to go searching for raptors, flying solo or gathering in groups. Identify birds of prey The UK is home to a variety of birds of prey - predatory birds equipped with sharp talons and hooked bills. Adopt an owl Searching for an original gift for a nature lover? But now I can study these birds from the comfort of my kitchen — although my wife used to complain that the house was a bit on the chilly side as I often used to keep the window open most of the night so that I could photograph them.
Illuminated, it is fascinating to watch the owls interacting with each other. And these days the tawny owls are so used to me I can actually get up quite close. Unusually, the first year I watched it was the barn owl that seemed to be in charge at my bird table. I have seen tawny owls attacking barn owls before. But this Yorkshire Wolds barn owl must be tougher than the lowland birds I have watched. Last week I switched on the light to see the tawny owl pair sharing a post preening one another.
Sensibly, he always gives way, although not without an angry hoot and a screech. In fact this bird table is now well established and the novelty of feeding birds of prey by night and garden birds by day was f eatured on BBC1s The One Show last year.
Read about the story behind the film here. It makes me feel a little sorry for the young interlopers who are only trying to make their own way in life. Scroll down to see all my paintings of tawny owls. For more information and prices click on the pictures. Great read! You must be logged in to post a comment. October 18, 5 Comments. Share on facebook Facebook. Share on twitter Twitter.
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