Owls
Tawny Owl
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Strix aluco
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Voice
Song
Call
Song
Song
How to recognize it
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Body length 37–46 cm; stocky silhouette
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Large rounded head, no ear tufts, dark eyes
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Grey or rufous-brown upperparts; pale underparts with brown streaks
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Broad rounded wings; silent flight with long glides
About the species
From a distance, its upperparts can look reddish brown or gray-brown, while the underside is pale with dark brown streaks. A large, rounded head frames dark eyes, with no ear tufts. In flight, broad, rounded wings show brown and gray tones above and a paler, streaked underside.
After dark, it watches from a perch before dropping or gliding almost silently onto prey. Its call is a duet: the male gives a wavering “hoo...ho, ho, hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo” in response to the female’s sharp “kew-wick.” Unevenly placed ears help it pinpoint faint sounds in the dark.
It lives in deciduous and mixed woods, and also uses mature parks and gardens in towns. It stays year-round rather than migrating, hunting mostly woodland rodents but also other small mammals, earthworms and beetles.
Where to find
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In quiet city parks and gardens with wooded patches, listen after dark for a long hoot followed by a short, sharp call.
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By day, in a sheltered part of a wooded park, look for a tawny owl roosting on a branch close to the trunk.
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In wooded corners of city parks, look beneath trees used for roosting or nesting for grey pellets, often with fur and bones showing.
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At buildings with suitable openings, watch the entrances from a distance — cavities there may be used for nesting.
