Owls in the UK

Owls are one of the best-known groups of birds and due to their nocturnal habits are a special treat to see. They are a unique group of birds with a disk-like face, eyes that face forward and a small hook-shaped bill. Most are nocturnal or crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), although there are a few that can be seen during the day. The more nocturnal an owl is the darker their eyes. Crepuscular owls tend to have orange eyes while those out in the day have more yellow eyes.

There are 5 native species of owl in the UK – tawny owl, barn owl, little owl, short-eared owl and long-eared owl. All owls in the UK are a cause for concern for conservationists as their numbers are falling and their habitats are diminishing. The snowy owl and eagle owl are commonly seen in the UK but are not native and it is not known whether the more common eagle owl is breeding in the wild.

Common owls in Britain

The five main owls in the UK are very distinctive and easy to identify if you know what to look and listen out for.

Tawny Owl

Description

The tawny owl is large and stocky about the size of a wood pigeon with a big head and short, broad wings. The upper parts are reddish brown with white markings. The underparts are a buff colour with dark heavy streaks. They usually have a white ring around the face and white markings between the eyes. The juvenile is much paler with more indistinct markings.

Tawny Owl Call

The tawny owl is the most common owl in the UK and has the classic twit twoo (tu-whit tu-whoo) call. In the summer months, you may hear a sharp kee-wick from the female and during the winter nights you may hear a longer wavering hoo-oo-oo.

Breeding

The tawny owl will nest in hollow trees or the abandoned nests of other larger birds like crows and magpies. They don’t tend to use nesting materials like other birds.

In March and April, they will lay 2-4 white eggs which are incubated by the female for 28 days.

The young are fed by both parents and fledge at about 35 days old although the parents will continue to feed them for another 3 months. They emerge from the nest before they are ready to fly so will shuffle around branches making them perfect for photography with a long lens.

Feeding

The tawny owl is very nocturnal, but when feeding young it may be seen hunting during the day. It usually hunts alone waits on a perch and drops down onto passing prey which is usually small rodents and birds but may also be amphibians and reptiles. In urban areas where voles and mice are scarce, they may be seen to eat more birds

Where to Find a Tawny Owl

They are widespread across the UK except for Ireland and the Scottish islands. They prefer deciduous and coniferous woodland as well as parks, gardens and churchyards. During the daytime, tawny owls will be tucked away in trees making them hard to find.

Confused with…

• Long-eared owl is smaller and more slender
• Little owl is much smaller
• Barn owl is pale

Barn Owl

Description

The barn owl is one of Britain’s most beautiful birds and is often seen flying across meadows at sunset. They have snow-white underparts and a speckled honey and soft grey upper parts. The female often appears greyer on her back. They have a large heart-shaped face with a distinctive ring. Their legs are incredibly long and in flight, their wings are large and rounded.

Barn Owl Call

The barn owl has a very distinctive eerie shriek and hissing scream.

Breeding

Barn owls nest in empty buildings and ruins or hollow trees or old nests. They will sometimes nest in crevices on cliffs.

They will lay between 4-7 white eggs in March or April which are incubated for 33 days by the female.

The young are fed by both parents and fledge after 9-12 weeks.

The barn owl may have a second clutch later in the year if conditions are right.

Feeding

The barn owl usually hunts alone at dusk and is often seen flying over fields in search of rodents. They will hover over prey before dropping down to the ground. Prey is often carried back to a regular perch. During the winter months when food is scarce, the barn owl may be seen hunting during the day.

Where to Find a Barn Owl

They are widespread across the UK but are uncommon. They are not usually found in northern Scotland or western Ireland. They prefer rough farmland, woodland edges or coastal marshes and will often be seen close to ditches and riverbanks.

Confused with…

• Tawny owl is much larger
• Little owl is much smaller
• Can be confused with gulls in flight

Little Owl

Description

The little owl is the smallest owl in the UK, about the size of a starling with a large square head and short tail. They have a greyish-brown upper part with distinctive white spots while their underparts are streaked. The juvenile is often paler than the adult. They look quite fierce and often seem grumpy with their piercing yellow eyes and white eyebrows.

These birds have bred in the UK since 1879 after several attempts to introduce them. They finally became established in the early 1900s and have since spread across the country.

Little Owl Call

Little owls have a high-pitched shriek which sounds like kiew kiew kiew

Breeding

Little owls nest in old buildings, holes in trees and abandoned rabbit burrows. As with other owls they do not use nesting materials. They lay 3 – 5 white eggs in April and May which are incubated by the female for 28 days. The young are fed by both adults and fledge at 26 days old.

Feeding

Little owls are more active during the day than other owls although they tend to hunt at dawn and dusk. They keep watch from vantage points like old trees or telegraph poles and can often be seen bobbing up and down looking for prey. Their diet is mainly insects especially beetles and craneflies although they will capture small rodents and even small birds. They can run quite fast and are often seen chasing their prey around on the ground.

Where to Find a Little Owl

Little owls are found across England and Wales and are slowly making their way into southern Scotland. They prefer farmland with woods, hedgerows and old trees.

Confused with…

• Tawny owl which is much bigger
• The undulating flight pattern is similar to a woodpecker

Short-Eared Owl

Description

The short-eared owl is a medium-sized owl and is quite bulky in appearance although their head is slimmer than that of the tawny owl. They have streaky, mottled brown and cream upper parts and lighter honey brown and cream underparts. When they fly their wings appear pale on the underside with a dark bar while the upper wing is brown with mottled spots and bars.

Their heads are oval-shaped with small ear tufts that are not always visible. The facial disc is pale grey and honey brown with black around the eyes which are a stunning yellow.

The females are larger with darker and more prominent markings than the males. Juveniles are darker brown with less markings on their underparts.

Short-eared Owl Call

Short-eared owls are usually silent but will sometimes be heard making a low hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo

Breeding

Short-eared owls nest on the ground in a scrape that is lined with grass and feathers. The female will build the nest and do the majority of the incubation of the eggs.

Short-eared owls lay 4-10 white eggs which are incubated for 25-29 days with the owlets leaving the nest at 12 days old.

Feeding

Short-eared owls will hunt at dusk and dawn and will be seen flying low over moorland. They will eat small rodents including mice, rabbits, squirrels and bats.

Where to Find a Short-eared Owls

Short-eared owls are uncommon in the UK and mainly seen in the north of England as well as Scotland and Wales. Across the Orkney Islands, they are a common sight year-round and many people get lucky seeing them on Skomer Island during the summer months. In other areas, they are only seen in the winter months when their numbers swell to around 50000 as birds arrive from Scandinavia. They prefer open country, moorland and coastal marshes with rough grassland. They can often be seen on fence posts or perched on small mounds on the ground.

Confused with…

• Barn owl which is slightly smaller and much paler
• Long-eared owl which has much more noticeable ear tufts
• Can be confused with a harrier as it glides in flight

Long-Eared Owls

Description

The long-eared owl is the largest of the resident owls in the UK. They are brown and buff with prominent bars and mottled areas. The upperparts are a mix of black, brown, buff and white while the underparts are paler with verticle streaks and bars.

They have long tails and large rounded wings that cross over each other when they are perched.

They have a large facial disk with black and grey edges white eyebrows and deep orange eyes. Their most noticeable feature is their large ear tufts which are noticeable when they are perched and tucked away when they are in flight.

Females are larger and darker than males with a greater range of colourings. Juveniles are similar in colour with softer feathers.

Long-Eared Owl Call

The long-eared owl has the biggest range of calls with over 20 different variations being documented.

Breeding

Long-eared owls use abandoned nests made of sticks, usually in dense woodland. They lay 4 or 5 white eggs between February and July which are incubated by the female for 25-30 days. Once hatched the female will continue to care for them for 2 weeks. After 3 weeks they leave the nest but are unable to fly so will stay on nearby branches. They start to fly at 35 days and are independent after about 10 weeks.

Feeding

Despite their larger size, long-eared owls feed on small rodents. This includes young rabbits, voles, rats and mice.

Where to Find a Long-Eared Owl

Long-eared owls are very secretive and tend to hunt at night. They may be seen in coastal areas or at dawn during the winter months but other than this encounters are unlikely. They are found year-round in small pockets around the coasts of the UK and may be found in the Midlands region, south coast and East Anglia coast during the winter months.

Confused with…

• Tawny owl which has a darker colouring and no ear tufts
• The short-eared owl is smaller and paler with less noticeable ear tufts.

Other Owls in the UK

Two other owls, the snowy owl and the eagle owl are seen in the UK but are not resident or common.

Snowy Owl

Eagle Owl

The eagle owl (Bubo bubo) is believed to be nesting in the UK with somewhere between 12 and 40 pairs. They are not native to the UK and are believed to be escaped captive birds. They are large striking birds with huge ear tufts and are more than 10 times the size of a tawny owl. They hunt rodents and medium-sized mammals. They will also take crows, grouse and other larger birds.