Shattering myths about Owls

First let’s meet the locals

There are 5 species of British owl living in the UK and Northern Ireland. On this page I’m going to do a brief fact file with some fast facts. Combined, I hope you’ll see that those common myths you have heard about them are untrue. At the end of this page you’ll find a quiz you can test your knowledge on. Click on each image to read the fun fact file:

Tawny Owl

Long Eared owl

Short Eared Owl

Barn Owl

Little Owl

Barn Owl

Name	Tyto Alba
Length	33-39cm
Weight	250-350g
Wingspan	80-95cm
Diet	Mice, vole, shrews, small birds and other small mammals
Hunting	Nocturnal, can be seen at dawn and dusk
Habitat	Marine, intertidal, farmland, wetland, grassland
Predators	Buzzards and goshawks (lucky foxes)

Fast Facts

Barn owls rely on sound to locate and hunt their prey.

Their eyesight is twice as light sensitive as humans (barn owl)

Barn owl hearing is one of the most sensitive of any animal to be tested.

Their bodies are light making it easier to fly slow and low to the ground.

Scientists have proven that barn owls can succesfully catch prey in pitch black by hearing alone.

A little video:

What does a Barn Owl sound like?

This sound is by Simon Elliott who has been recording wildlife sounds since 1968!

Tawny Owl

Name	Strix Aluco
Length	37-39cm
Weight	350-590g
Wingspan	94-104cm
Diet	Small mammals, rodents, small birds, frogs, fish, worms and insects
Hunting	Nocturnal, can be seen at dawn and dusk
Habitat	Woodland, urban/suburban, farmland
Predators	Buzzards and goshawks (lucky foxes)

Fast Facts

Female tawny owls are usually bigger and heavier in size

Tawny owls are very territorial. Their territory can be up to 50 acres.

What does a tawny owl sound like?

Call

The recorder’s notes on this sound is that it’s of a male bringing food to a female tawny who is brooding eggs.

Tawny Owl ‘Hoot’

Short Eared Owl

Name	Asio flammeus
Length	35-37cm
Weight	260-350g
Wingspan	90-105cm
Diet	Small mammals, primarily voles
Hunting	Spotted during the day, Crepescular (seen hunting dawn and dusk)
Habitat	moorland, dunes and heathland,
Predators	Foxes, crows will raid nests

Fast Facts

Short eared owls have a home range of 200 hectares.

Short eared owls regularly build nests on the ground which dogs damage and crows raid.

More to follow soon…

Long Eared Owl

Name	Asio otus
Length	35-37cm
Weight	210-370g
Wingspan	84-95cm
Diet	Small rodents and small birds in winter
Hunting	Nocturnal
Habitat	Woodland, Farmland, Wetland
Predators	owls, foxes, goshawks and peregrine falcons

Fast Facts

The long eared owl is the most nocturnal of all owls found in UK

Some long eared owls will build ground nests under trees and shrubs.

Long eared owls are often found in coniferous woodland

They adapt old sticks nests of other speices like crows and magpies (long eared owls)

More to follow soon…

Little Owl

Introduced to the UK in the 19th century.

Name	Athene Noctua
Length	21-23 cm
Weight	140-220g
Wingspan	54-58cm
Diet	Small mammals, rodents, small birds, frogs, fish, worms and insects
Hunting	Diurnal, perches on tree branches, telegraph poles and rocks
Habitat	Woodland, urban/suburban, farmland, grassland
Predators	Rats, weasels and stoats, squirrels, foxes, badgers, other owls, buzzards, sparrowhawks and peregrine falcons.