Tawny Owl of Britain

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Tawny Owls (strix aluco) are the most common and widespread species of owl in Britain. They are nocturnal birds of prey who live and hunt in their traditional woodland environments as well as gardens and parks in towns and cities. Tawny Owls are absent from both Northern and the Republic of Ireland.

There is concern about the Tawny Owl population in Britain which has declined by nearly a third in the last 25 years. The British Trust for Ornithology believes Tawny Owls may be disappearing from towns and cities although the exact reason for their decline remains unknown.

Tawny Owls are shy and solitary birds who inhabit mixed and deciduous woodland where there are mature trees and a plentiful supply of prey. They can be found in open woodland, conifer plantations. farmland with trees, hedgerows, railway tracks, urban parks, churchyards and suburban gardens.

Parks and large gardens with mature trees have allowed Tawny Owls to spread their range to towns and cities. They have even adapted to living in noisy city centres

Tawny Owls are nocturnal birds who hunt between dusk and dawn in woods, on farmland, the edges of woodland railway embankments and roadside verges. Their flight is fast, direct and silent.

They are absent from the Scottish Highlands and some islands such as the Orkney and Shetland Islands. (RSPB - number 3).

Tawny Owls are absent from both Northern and the Republic of Ireland. There are occasional sightings as in 2013 when a Tawny Owl was spotted on an island in County Down (BBC).

They "are our most frequently heard/seen owl in and around gardens...The hooting or "twoo" sound is usually made by the male and is a territorial call. You can sometimes hear a female responding to a male’s "twoo" call with a sharp "kee-wick". Together this duet produces the classic "twit twoo" sound (BTO ).

The folklore and superstitions of Britain associated Tawny Owls with bad luck, witchcraft and omens of death,

The Tawny Owl is classified as of Least Concern by IUCN.

The global population is not considered Vulnerable due to the wide range of these birds (Eurasia, North Africa) . Europe accounts for 80% of the global range. The global trend is described as stable. The trend for the European population is "unknown" (Birdlife International).

The Tawny Owl is an amber-listed species of bird in Britain. They were moved to the amber list in December 2015 because of a historic decline in the breeding population.

The Tawny Owl population in Britain has shown a "shallow downward trend" since the 1970s (BTO – species).

The Breeding Bird Survey said the resident population of Tawny Owls in Britain:

- declined by 18% between 1995 and 2011 (RSPB)

- declined by 42% between 2012 and 2013 (BBS - page 17)

- increased by 71% between 2013/14 (BBS - page 13)

- declined by22% between 2014/15 (BBS - page 13)

- declined by 13% between 2015/16 (BBS - page 15)

- increased by 17% between 2016/17 (BBS - page 15)

- declined by 6% between 2017/18 (BBS - page 15)

The British Trust for Ornithology said the Tawny Owl population in Britain has fallen by nearly a third in the last 25 years. The reasons for the decline is unknown although a lack of suitable food may be linked to the drop in their numbers.

The charity said in 2015, "Tawny Owls only being reported by 3.6% of BTO Garden BirdWatchers, the second lowest figure for this time of year in a decade" (BTO)..

Tawny Owls were thought to be disappearing from towns and cities according to the BTO. The decline of the Tawny Owl may be linked to "Light pollution and urbanisation " (BBC).

Households with gardens are asked to "help tawny owls by leaving some grassy areas un-mown as this will encourage small rodents to visit.... it is also worth considering providing a Tawny Owl nest box." ( Daily Express).

The Tawny Owl population seems to be thriving in London's Royal Parks as a "baby owl" was found in the grounds in 2019. The owlet is the first to be seen in the area in twelve years (Telegraph).

"Scientists from Aberdeen University and Aix-Marseilles in France have discovered that numbers of field voles, tawny owls’ main prey, have decreased dramatically in the UK".

"Tawny owls only breed when there is sufficient prey. If they breed, how many eggs they lay, and how successful they are when they fledge their chicks –all rely heavily on vole density" (Scotsman).

Persecution by gamekeepers, particularly in Scotland, has been a persistent problem for Tawny Owls (RSPB).

Tawny Owls are particularly vulnerable to car accidents. "Being hit by a vehicle is the most reported cause of death for Tawny Owls, followed by train casualty and drowning in artificial water containers like horse or cattle troughs (BBC). .

Other reasons given for their decline include loss of woodland habitat, harsh weather conditions (BBC) and collision with overhead powerlines.