In Search of Tawny Owls

Thu 30th Jan, 2025

I will never forget my first experience of showing a group a roosting Tawny Owl. I was 18 and working as a Countryside Ranger at a country park near Sedgefield in County Durham. I was a keen birder so I knew I had to listen for the aggressive calls of songbirds such as Common Blackbirds as they mob a roosting owl. 

Tawny Owl - Top Hill Low Nature Reserve © Andrea Mapplebeck

I could hear Blackbirds, Common Chaffinches, Blue Tits and Great Tits chattering away in an old ivy-covered tree. I quietly ushered the group over as I scoured the branches with my binoculars for a plump brown shape sat high in a tree. The sounds led me to the right place and there it was a wonderful rich brown Tawny Owl peering down at us. I was complimented with many great reviews from the visitors, I felt like a magician!

If you were a Tawny Owl looking for a safe and peaceful daytime roost, a place to hide from marauding songbirds you would seek out a dark corner hidden from view. That’s why ivy-covered old trees are a great place to look. Ivy can be great habitat for owls and many other types of wildlife.

If you can’t find a warm and dark hole or an ivy clad tree, it’s all about trying to find the best form of concelement and shelter. Look-out for them pressed up close to a tree trunk where they can blend with the colour of the bark.  

Tawny Owl - Flamborough © Richard Baines

Tawny Owls are our commonest owl. The UK population is estimated at around 50,000 pairs. However, they are also the only owl in the UK which hunts exclusively at night, making them one of the most difficult to see.

We are used to British Tawny Owls being a rich warm brown colour, but in other parts of Europe the grey form is often dominant. Researchers in Finland found that as their winters become warmer with less snow fall, the brown form is becoming the dominant colour. Blending in with your surroundings may be the key. The better your camouflage the less likely you are to be predated by larger and more powerful birds of prey. 

Tawny Owl juvenile - Top Hill Low Nature Reserve © Andrea Mapplebeck

February is a key month in the life of a Tawny Owl. Their breeding season starts early; courtship is in full swing, the nest is built, and at the end of the month or in March it’s time for the eggs to be laid. Tawny Owls are monogamous and try to stay within their breeding territory for their entire life, but the average bird only lives for four years.

British Tawny Owls are also known for calling more in sunny weather. Don’t be surprised if you hear a female delivering her harsh ‘kee-wick’ call or a male giving his low hooting sound in the middle of the day. In rainy weather sound doesn’t travel very far whereas in sunny and dry weather Tawny Owls can send their calls far and wide. 

Tawny Owls - Driffield © Andrea Mapplebeck

So, if you are keen to find a Tawny Owl this is a great month to start looking, with no leaves on the trees the task may be easier. Listen out for the angry calls of small birds and carefully follow their sound trail. If you are really lucky you may even find the nest! 

© Richard Baines, Yorkshire Coast Nature