Tawny Owl Facts

This is the Owl which is famed for its hooting call and its sharper contact call. Also known as the Hoot Owl and the Brown Owl this is Britain’s largest and most numerous Owl. Surprisingly, as with snakes, it never made it to Ireland!

There have been no major signs of either increase or decline in the population of this mysterious but popular bird. Its size, physical dominance, varied diet and ability to adapt to changing circumstances and exploit new habitats such as urban parkland and even large gardens has enabled it to sustain larger numbers. Some Tawny Owls have even been seen to take fish, frogs and other amphibians by wading in the shallows. Normally the province of the tropical Fishing Owls.

A denizen of woods and tree holes, it may spend its entire life within a single wood. Environmental catastrophes apart, we can expect this species to expand its range as the countryside again becomes more forested with broadleaved trees, and existing forests mature and develop suitable nesting holes.

As one of the Barn Owl’s most aggressive predators at available nest sites, it is unusual to see these two species together.