British Owls
Barn Owl Tyto Alba
Length: 29 – 44cm | Wingspan: 85-98cm | Weight: 235-323g
Description:
White underparts and under wings;
Sandy-buff upper parts flecked with grey and black;
Sandy/buff tail with horizontal grey/black barring.
Distinctive heart white face.
The males tending to be much lighter than the females with a white face whereas the females have buff facial highlights from the eyes down towards the beak, they also have a hint of buff across the top of the chest and some have tiny spots on from under the wings towards the middle of the chest (but these can’t be relied up for sexing in isolation as some males can have a smattering of spots),
the barring on the tail feathers are also darker in the female.
Unlike other breeds of owls, both sexes of the Barn Owl tend to be very similar in size. The only weight difference will occur in the run up to breeding, when the male feeds the female so she comes into good condition for breeding.
-
Their home ranges are vast – up to 5,000 hectares
These contain a nest site, several favourite roosts, and several occasional roosts
This range reduces during the breeding season to around 350 hectares around the nest site
Unlike the Tawny Owl, Barn Owls are not territorial
Home ranges overlap with other pairs of Barn Owls
Some pairs will roost together all year around, others will live separately coming together during the breeding season
They are highly faithful to their home ranges and nest and roost sites
If there have been Barn Owls using an area or nest site/roost in the past, then with increase numbers, they will return
-
Widely but thinly distributed across lowland UK except for areas of urbanisation and dense woodland
Their habitat comprises open countryside, unmanaged grassland, pasture, and scrub. They avoid woodland, forests, and mountain areas
As they rely on their hearing for hunting they are unable to hunt within suburban or urban areas although they have been known to roost and nest in buildings in noisy farmyards and business parks on the edge of towns, villages and cities near to their hunting grounds
-
Hunting & Prey:
Barn Owls although predominantly nocturnal but do have a diurnal tendency so will hunt during daylight if needed
Barn Owls use their hearing to hunt
They hunt on the wing (very occasionally from a perch)
They are able fly silently as they have no oil in their feathers but this and the use of their hearing can have downsides
Some will try to hunt in wet weather from perches and sometimes under hedges, although they can fly wet feathers mean they aren’t as agile, and they make a noise so their prey can hear them, also if the weather is bad their prey will also probably be keeping dry
As with wet weather, they find it difficult to hunt in the wind as they can’t hear their prey, so may resort to perch hunting in more sheltered sites i.e. along hedgerows if they can find them
If they have bad weather at night, they will hunt in daylight hours and can be seen in the Summer months if they have chicks to feed.
Their favourite prey is the short-tailed field vole which lives in unmanaged grassland
They will also take other rodents including small rats and have been known to also take, birds, frogs, bats, lizards and in Norfolk, they have been found to hunt over the reed beds for roosting starlings
-
Apart from the courtship period around April when the contact call is a long, harsh screech, you have to be close to a Barn Owl to hear any of its calls the main one being a wheezing hiss, it also snores and purrs
Little Owl Athene Noctua
Length: 21-24cm | Wingspan: 53-59cm | Weight: 105-260g
The Little Owl was released in Britain in 1843 however, there are recorded sightings together with fossil evidence before then.
They are classed as an introduced naturalised breeding species here, although some naturalists consider them to be reintroduced due to the fossil evidence.
Descrption:
small and stocky
greyish brown upper parts
short tail mottled with white flecks/spots
paler underparts with dart streaks.
Flattish head with piercing green/yellow eyes set below white eyebrows
Indistinct facial disk.
Females can be up to a third larger than the male.
-
Unlike Tawny Owls and Barn Owls, male and female Little Owls have their own home ranges which can overlap with the breeding sight within this area
Males tend to have larger home ranges than females
The size of territory depends on;
The sex and age of the bird
The population density
Structure of the habitat
Density and availability of prey
-
They live in various habitats including:
Lowland farmland
Orchards
Parkland
Rural Villages
Large Gardens allotments
And Quarries
Their territories comprise a mixture of:
Scrub
Hedgerows
Barns/buildings
Grassland
Treelines and fences
And use open compost heaps and Midins
-
You are most likely to see them at dawn and dusk although they are about during daytime and love sunbathing
They can also continue to be active after dusk to midnight
They are able to hunt in the day and at night
Their prey includes:
Beetles
Spiders
Earthworms
Moths
Small mammals
Birds
-
The Little Owl has around 24 different calls
the two main ones are the males song which is a slightly nasal “gwooihk” becoming catlike with excitement and a warning call which is a high pitched “yap, yap, yap” becoming more staccato and strident
Male territorial vocalisations start during late winter (often from their favourite perch)
Calling can continue during the nesting season – March to June
Tawny Owl Strix Aluco
Length: 36-40cm | Wingspan: 70-85cm | Weight: 325-720g
Description:
There are 3 colour variations of the Tawny Owl being brown, grey and rufus.
The most common in the UK is the brown phase which is dark brown with paler barred upper and paler streaked under parts.
It has a large, round head with a round facial disk and large dark eyes.
Female can be up to a third larger than the male.
-
These very adaptable Owls home ranges, in Britain, are around 12 to 20 hectares
The size is dependent on the quality of habitat and density of prey
Tawnies are very territorial and protect their home ranges by patrolling and calling to warn others this is theirs – they are prepared to attack when necessary
-
Broad-leaved and mixed woodland
Conifer plantations
Large urban parks
Suburban and Village gardens
Farmland
Hedgerows
Copses and Scrub
-
Hunting & Prey:
Tawny Owls are perch hunters, and their diet includes:
Rodents – voles, mice, rats – have been seen with adult rabbits etc
Birds – have been seen with Magpies
Bats
Amphibians
Invertebrates
Fish – they are great bathers and happy to wade so have been known to take the odd fish from ponds if the opportunity arises
-
The Tawnies are the “Twit-Twoo” owl – this call being made up by two owls calling to each other
The calls are a distinctive hoooo ho hoooooo this is generally the male and it is a low slow call
The other is kewick and is generally the female and it is a higher pitched staccato call
Tawnies also have a fast high pitched alarm call and have a close quarter purring call
Short Eared Owl Asio Flammeus
Length: 33-42cm | Wingspan: 95-110cm | Weight: 210-500g
Description
Pale yellowy brown upperparts mottled with dark brown with similar coloured underparts with dark streaks,
wings are long with a dark patch at the wrists.
Yellow eyes
large facial disc with small ear tufts.
The female can be up to a third larger than the male
-
This is migratory bird with the ability of moving across thousands of miles*
A bird of open country, moorland, downland and forest and woodland clearings
*The BTO is currently involved in research into this fascinating owl including the use of radio trackers.
-
Hunting on the wing low over the ground but will also hunt from a fence post perch
Its prey consists predominantly mice and voles and small mammals
It will also take birds and invertebrates
-
Male song is a series of up to 20 short very fast hoots uttered on the wing
Long Eared Owl Asio Otus
Length: 35-40cm | Wingspan: 90-100cm | Weight: 200-435g
Description
Ochre/buff upperparts with greyish wash mottled with dark brown or black
paler underparts streaked with black
light underwing with dark stripe
Orange eyes
a large greyish facial disk with a dark edge, and white highlights around the beak
distinctive ear tufts.
The female is up to a third larger than the male and can be darker in colouring
-
Edges of coniferous and mixed, woodlands and forests
All with access to open countryside
-
A small mammal specialist
Takes mice and voles but will also take birds, frogs, bats, lizards etc
Usually hunting on the wing along hedgerows and woodland/forest edges
Will also hunt from a fence post perch
-
The adult Long Eared owl is generally only heard during the breeding season with the male giving a deep “whooh”
The female a week, rasping mew
The young can be heard from hatching through to fledging and sound like a high-pitched squeaky gate