Species: Strix aluco = Tawny Owl. Tawny Owl Animal Tawny Owl
Latin name- Strix aluco
English title- Tawny owl
Detachment- Owls
Family- Real owls or owls
In nature, 2 color forms of the common owl are distinguished - gray and brown, and the color changes due to the geographical distribution of the species. For example, owls living in the British Isles are predominantly red, while gray birds predominate on the European mainland. Ural and Siberian owls are also predominantly gray and the more east the area, the less red individuals are found there. On the territory of Russia, the ratio of gray and red individuals is approximately the same, and the further south, the greater the predominance of red individuals.
Natural and conservation status
The common owl belongs to the most common and numerous species of owls and does not require any special conservation measures.
View and person
The common owl is quite tolerant of the presence of a person and can settle even in large city parks. Fabulous ideas about the harmfulness of these birds and their connections with "evil spirits", fortunately, are a thing of the past.
Spreading
The common owl inhabits the deciduous and mixed forests of the Palaearctic; it is found in Europe, Asia and North Africa. Its range extends from the Mediterranean to the southern borders of the taiga. In East Asia, a virtually isolated area with similar natural conditions is known. On the territory of such a vast range, 11 subspecies of this owl stand out.
Most often, the common owl prefers deciduous and mixed forests, but feels good both in coniferous forests and in city parks.
Appearance
The usual size of this species of owl is 36-38 cm, weight is about 500 g. Like many other species of owls, ♂♂ is always less than ♀♀. The head is large, round and can turn almost 270o, there are no feather "ears" on the head. The facial disc is well expressed and bordered with dark feathers. The wings are quite short and wide, reaching almost 1 m in span.
The color of the common owl is monochromatic (more gray or more red), but with speckles, which makes the owl sitting on a tree completely invisible. The chest and belly are lighter than the back. The eyes and claws are dark, almost black, the beak is yellow.
Feeding and feeding behavior
The main prey of the common owl, of course, are mouse-like rodents and other small mammals (moles, shrews, and sometimes young hares). But often she also catches small birds, as well as frogs, reptiles, insects, mollusks, and near the water - crustaceans and fish.
The common owl hunts at night, most often from ambush, using its excellent hearing. Having found prey at the slightest rustle in the grass, the owl plans or falls sharply on it. Having covered the prey with its wide wings, it then kills it with blows of its beak or tears with its claws.
Sometimes these owls hunt in flight, scaring away small birds sleeping in the bushes with wing beats on branches.
Activity
The Tawny Owl is active only at night. She spends the day hiding somewhere among the trees, becoming almost invisible. The main enemy of the owl in nature is the goshawk, which leads a diurnal lifestyle, so the most dangerous time for an owl is the bright part of the day.
Vocalization
The vocalization of owls is very diverse. The call of the male is a long, howling uuuh, uuuh, uuuh, most often heard during the mating season. With this hoot, the male notifies other birds that the territory is occupied; with a similar cry, he calls the female, and also informs her that he is bringing food to the nest. The voice of the female is a long, booming bass trill, slightly reminiscent of the whistle of a long-distance train. In general, during the mating period, the common owls are rather “talkative” birds and, apparently, various fears of owls are associated with their nightly calls. The rest of the time outside the breeding season, the common owls are very quiet and silent.
social behavior
Tawny owls are strictly territorial, live in separate permanent pairs, which persist for life. Adult owls actively defend their territory (with calls, threatening behavior, active attacks), especially during the nesting period. They attack cats, dogs, foxes and even humans. But the owls almost do not react to the anxiety of crows, which actively “do not like” owls.
Reproduction and parenting behavior
The Tawny Owl starts nesting very early. Already in February, you can observe the display of males, and in March-early April, clutches appear. The nest is simple, usually located in a hollow or old stump, but it can also be right on the ground. Tawny owls often occupy other people's nests, mainly crows.
The clutch usually contains 2-4 round white eggs, but in years rich in food, nests with 7-8 eggs were found. The incubation period lasts about 30 days, dense incubation begins with the first egg, so the chicks in the same nest are of different ages. Only the female incubates.
At the end of April, blind, with closed ears, helpless chicks already appear in most nests. On the second day, they already begin to hear and see. For the first week, only the male gets food, but when the chicks are 6-7 days old, the female already leaves them alone in the nest and flies away to hunt. The chicks stay in the nest for about a month, but even after departure, the young live with their parents on their territory, and only in autumn the brood breaks up.
Adult owls protect the nest and chicks very actively and selflessly.
Lifespan
Tawny owls become sexually mature already in the first year of life. There is little data on the lifespan of these owls, but on average they live about 5 years. A case is known when a female ringed in nature lived 18 years and 7 months, and another bird in captivity - 27 years. The cause of death of owls is most often collisions with vehicles on the roads, hitting wires, and similar anthropogenic causes.
Life at the Moscow Zoo
At the Moscow Zoo, the Tawny Owls are kept in the Russian Forest enclosure in the Old Territory. Their number fluctuates in different years; breed regularly. These owls receive 6 mice daily for food; during breeding, this number can double, and when chicks appear, even triple.
Now the owls are temporarily exhibited over the Otter complexes in the New Territory.
The common owl lives in Europe, South Asia and Western Siberia. Settles in the hollows of old trees, preferring deciduous and mixed forests. Not bad adapted to live in gardens and parks. But if there are no conditions for a brood of chicks, it will leave the place. She sticks to her chosen territory and does not leave it.
Leads a nocturnal lifestyle, hunting rodents (the main food), and. Attacks medium sized birds.This beautiful motley bird is brown or gray in color. Quite invisible among the trees, it is well camouflaged, thanks to its plumage. The belly is predominantly white with dark specks, while the back, head, wings and tail are brown in color, alternating with light specks.
The plumage is soft and the same, no difference in gender. Its weight is from 370 to 600 grams, body length is up to 40 cm. Females are larger than males. On the large head of the bird are large dark eyes, a strong yellow beak. Vision and hearing are at a good level, which helps to survive in the wild. The legs are covered with feathers up to long and sharp claws, which are strongly curved.
The wings are wide and rounded, their wingspan reaches 1 meter. Its flight is graceful, it silently flies up to a potential victim and grabs it with its sharp claws. It is agile and very mobile. But she is also shy and cautious. During the day, she dozes, but her hearing is on the alert, it will hear and see anyone who wants to approach her, then it will simply fly away.
Their mating season begins quite early, in early March. Males ambiguously “hoot”, calling for females, and they answer them with a short sound. When a pair is formed, the female will soon lay eggs. She will incubate them from the first egg she lays. Usually there are 2-4 white eggs in a clutch. In about a month, charming fluffy white chicks will be born one after another. Mom is inseparable with the brood for several days. The father brings food. They open their mouths greedily, demanding food.
The chick is born deaf, blind, weighing up to 30 grams. On the second day of life, the chicks already hear and see. Parents take great care of their offspring and feed them conscientiously. Children grow up quickly, change fluff to fluff, stand on their paws. Parents zealously protect their chicks from enemies and fearlessly attack uninvited guests. At the age of 30 days, the young are selected from the hollow, but they do not go far from their home. Soon they will learn to fly, but loving parents still feed them and allow them to stay with them until the end of the year. Then the young birds will have to find a place of residence unoccupied in the forest.
The gray owl (lat. Strix aluco) is a bird belonging to the Owl family (Strigidae). It has a large round head, a small down-curved beak and huge round eyes. It is also called the common owl.
Behavior
This owl lives in Eurasia and North Africa. The eastern borders of the habitat range pass along the Korean Peninsula. She prefers to live in remote, deserted corners, but can also settle next to a person.
Most often it can be found on the plain or in forest thickets. The most favorite place of the settlement is an old cozy hollow in a mixed forest. Around it are her hunting grounds.
With the onset of dusk, the predator goes hunting and only at dawn returns to her home. An owl hunts in an open area. In food, she is not picky, large invertebrates and small rodents are quite suitable for her. Magnificent vision and keen hearing help to detect prey even on the darkest, moonless night.
The tawny owl living in the wild differs in its food preferences from those living in urban conditions. If the first feeds mainly on rodents, then the second prefers small feathered game. Undigested remnants of food owl regurgitates in the form of small spools.
reproduction
The male leads a sedentary lifestyle. He vigilantly guards his lands from anyone's claims. At the beginning of the mating season, males call their partners with a characteristic inviting hoot. Such sounds are sometimes heard even in autumn.
Tawny owls do not build new nests. They prefer to settle in old hollows, rock crevices, abandoned birdhouses, abandoned underground structures and in the attics of houses. From March to May, the female lays from 3 to 5 eggs, but with an abundance of food, there are more. She incubates the clutch for about a month. At this time, the male brings her food.
Hatched chicks are fed by both parents. At the age of one month, babies get out of the nest. They are still helpless and cannot do without parental care. During this period, the owls learn to fly.
Often, when people see a chick on the ground, they consider it abandoned and take it home. It is absolutely impossible to do this. Even if the owlet is on the ground, thanks to its sharp claws along the tree trunk, it can easily climb back into its nest.
At seven weeks old, the chicks already fly well, but are still in the care of their parents.
Protecting its offspring, the tawny owl bravely rushes at any aggressor, if necessary, it can also attack a person. She directs her sharp claws directly into the eyes of the attacker and turns him into a stampede.
Tawny owls reach sexual maturity at the age of 2-3 years.
Description
The body length of an adult is 37-38 cm. The wingspan can reach 1 m with a weight of about 540 g. The plumage color varies from gray to light red with a dark pattern of longitudinal stripes of different lengths.
The head is relatively large in relation to the body and rounded. Large round eyes are located in front of the facial disc. The beak is short, strongly bent down. Wide rounded wings provide high maneuverability in flight.
The muscular body is completely covered with dense plumage. The lower limbs and paws are covered with small light feathers. Two fingers are directed forward, and two in the opposite direction. They are equipped with long and hook-shaped claws. Closer to the head are white stripes. The shortened tail opens in the air in a wide fan.
The life span of the Tawny Owl in natural conditions does not exceed 10 years. In captivity, individual specimens live up to 15-16 years.
Appearance and behavior. A large owl of dense build, about the size of a crow, but looks larger (body length 41–46 cm, wingspan 90–105 cm, weight 400–800 g), large-headed and short-tailed. He sits in a column, while his big-headedness and, as it were, general roundness, are especially striking. The wings are wide and relatively short. The tail is short, only slightly protruding beyond the ends of the folded wings (it is noticeably longer). The flight is silent, light and maneuverable, the wings in direct flight do not fold, but spread. Activity is purely nocturnal, during the day it usually hides in a hollow or tree crown.
Description. The general coloration is brown with dark longitudinal streaks and separate light spots on the back, the latter forming two implicit light stripes on the shoulder and across the wing. Tail with thin transverse dark stripes. There may be variations in color from gray to red, occasionally in the Caucasus there are dark brown, almost black birds. On the chest and abdomen there are longitudinal streaks with transverse "branches" (unlike the Ural Owl). The top of the body is darker. The facial disc is well defined, rounded. Two white stripes are visible high above the eyes - “eyebrows” (other owls do not). The general facial expression is "kind", "peaceful". Tarsus and toes are feathered. The male and female do not differ in color, the female is noticeably larger. The eyes are dark, almost black (all the rest of our owls, with the exception of the Ural Owl and, have yellow or orange eyes), the beak is light. Chicks hatch in white fluff, which from the 8th day of life begins to gradually give way to mesoptile. The mesoptile is mainly formed by the age of 18 days, it is light brown, with a blurred transverse pattern throughout the body. The first adult plumage begins to form at the age of 5–6 weeks, this molt lasts 2–3 months, young birds in this plumage are not much different from adults; in particular, their flight feathers are all equally fresh in autumn and early winter, while in adult birds they are of varying wear, since adult birds do not change them all annually.
Voice. The current call of the male is a trembling howling signal " uuu...uuu...uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" often consists of three parts, the first is short, similar to a beep, with stress on the first syllable, then a pause of 2-4 seconds, 1-2 short shouts " at” and then a long and trembling trill, but variations are possible. This is a rather loud and melodious cry, sometimes heard for several kilometers. The male in lekking flight sometimes flaps its wings. A female can also respond with a similar cry. At any time of the year, you can often hear a contact signal: a sharp two-syllable cry “ ke-wick” with an accent on the last syllable, it is produced by both partners in very different situations. Fledglings, begging for food, emit a hoarse " pssy-ip with the accent on the last syllable.
Distribution, status. Mostly Europe, but also parts of Africa and Asia. In the European part of Russia from the southern borders to the north to about 60 ° north latitude. Normal look.
Lifestyle. It lives in mature deciduous and mixed forests, old parks, including penetrating into cities, where the presence of hollow trees is important for it. Nests mainly in hollows, occasionally - in cavities and niches of rocks and buildings, nests of predators and corvids, bird nests. The nest is without lining, but sometimes wool, feathers, remains of pellets, and the like accumulate at the bottom of the nest hole. The clutch usually consists of 3–5 white eggs, sometimes up to 9. The female incubates the chicks, both parents feed the chicks. Incubation begins with the first or second egg, so the chicks are of different ages. The basis of food is mouse-like rodents, but also eats birds, insects and other small animals. Hunts exclusively in dense twilight and at night, uses stalking and search flights low above the ground, can briefly hover in the air in one place.
A representative of the owl family is a night bird owl. She has soft fluffy plumage, visually turning her appearance into a very impressive and powerful one, increasing her size, although creatures weigh on average no more than a kilogram and are inferior in size to their relatives, having a length of about half a meter.
The features of the external appearance of birds are quite typical for owls. However, they do not have feather "ears". The beak of birds is high, flattened from the sides; loose plumage has a reddish or grayish tint, strewn with small brown marks.
Moving in the dark owl owl uses a perfect natural acoustic locator, inherited from her prudent nature. These are specially arranged auricles, hidden under the feathers of the front part and covered with skin folds.
It is interesting that the left region of the hearing organs in the owl is always smaller in size than the right one. Such asymmetry is typical for everyone, but in owls it is so pronounced that it even causes deformation of the skull. The iris of the eyes of a nocturnal creature has a brown color.
Owl lifestyle and habitat
The habitat of the described birds is quite wide, includes Europe and Asia, spreading south to the territory of the North. Owls of this kind are also found on the American continent.
Of the varieties of birds in Russia, the bearded, long-tailed and gray owls live. Widespread in the European zone of the country tawny owl- a bird that has the dimensions of an owl of medium size.
Asian, Ural and Siberian owls predominantly have a gray tint of feathers. And redheads are residents, as a rule, of the western and southern parts of the mainland. In the Caucasus, representatives of this species, identified by scientists as a special subspecies, are able to amaze with a brown-coffee color.
Owls spend their lives uniting in pairs that do not break up for the entire time of their existence. When choosing a place to live, these birds of prey prefer areas near glades or edges, as they need space for a successful hunt.
In the photo, a gray owl with a chick
The life of birds proceeds according to the usual owl routine, since night is the time of activity for them. They start preparing for night sorties for the desired prey already at sunset, making low flights above the ground, during which they outline possible victims for themselves to carry out daring attacks.
The convenient arrangement of the wings helps the birds to smoothly approach the target without air shaking, which greatly facilitates their attacks. A characteristic feature of the common owl is its silent nature.
However, with the onset of twilight, if you're lucky, you can hear the roll call of these mysterious winged creatures. Usually, they do not leave their inhabited places, making only occasional minor migrations. However, for such birds there is no established behavioral framework.
In the photo, the common owl
They can roam, settle in dense forest thickets, but also find shelter near human dwellings and buildings. These are mobile and dexterous creatures that are constantly on the alert. Even during the day, when they hide among the branches of trees, birds are always ready for possible dangers. If, according to the bird, something suspicious is observed nearby, it hides, even visually, as if becoming smaller, shrinks in size, becomes motionless, almost merging with the trunk, and then fly away completely silently.
owl – bird who can take care of himself. She defends her nests with unusual fierceness, not even being afraid. It is better for enemies and immensely curious to stay away from the abode of her chicks, as there is a risk of earning deep scars or losing an eye.
At night, she is not so active, and it often happens that she does not sleep during the day. Such birds have powerful claws and make impressive trumpet sounds. These rare birds live in the mountain forests of taiga areas.
Pictured is a gray owl
The species originally discovered in the Urals is owl. differ in rather large sizes (their wing has a length of up to 40 cm), light plumage on the face and black eyes.
Their wings are yellowish white, but slightly darker than the general light gray tone of the main feather. The abdomen is often completely white. owl the long-tailed is awake and hunts at night until the first rays of the sun appear.
It lives in moist mixed forests, but often travels in winter in search of warmer places. Such owls are very smart, easily get used to people and are able to become tame.
In the photo, a long-tailed owl
Small size is considered gray owl. The size of these birds is only about 38 cm. They have dark eyes, a large head that can rotate three-quarters of a circle, and gray plumage.
During the mating season, males howl for a long time, and females answer them with short, muffled moans. Such birds are found in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests growing in Europe and Central Asia, birds also often inhabit parks and gardens.
The habitat of the tawny owl includes Egypt, Israel and Syria. In these parts, the bird inhabits rocky gorges, palm groves, even deserts. Such birds are distinguished by their pale color, yellowness of the eyes and small size (on average, about 30 cm).
Owl nutrition
It is widely believed that the word "tawny owl" is translated from Old Russian as "an insatiable creature." But although it is a typical night rogue, it is not large enough to be interested in large prey.
When night comes to a dense forest thicket, the birds, sensitively listening to any rustle, glide between the trees, looking for shrews. Often they insidiously attack frivolous victims, after ambushing them first.
And then, with one lightning-fast jerk, they overtake their prey in the place that their impressive hearing suggested to them. Usually the throw of an attacking owl does not exceed six meters in length, although there are enough marks.
Settling not far from agricultural land, such birds bring considerable benefits to people, destroying rodents in the fields. The tawny owl, going hunting, tracking down the places of accumulation of small nocturnal birds, often visits them again to profit.
Often winged hunters annoy hunters pretty much, leaving them without the skins of sables and other small fur-bearing animals that have fallen into traps and become the prey of feathered robbers as a result. The diet of the tawny owl also includes various small invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles.
Reproduction and lifespan of the owl
Owl nests can be found in the hollows of forest trees, near moss swamps, clearings and edges, often in the attics of abandoned dwellings. It happens that the eggs of such birds are laid in the nests of other birds, for example, goshawks, so do bearded owls and some other varieties of these representatives of the owl family. The time of the onset of the mating season depends on the climatic conditions of the habitat to which certain species of owls belong.
Pictured is the nest of the Great Owl
The Brazilian owl is an inhabitant of the dense wild forests of the New World with a favorable warm climate, therefore it begins to breed in August and ends in October, arranging its nests in hollow trees. Five weeks after birth, the chicks already leave the parental nest, and four months later they lead a completely independent existence.
Spending their lives in the forests of Europe, species of birds from the genus Tawny Owl, in the period allotted by nature for breeding, fill the deaf thickets with their voices, starting their mating concerts. True, the sounds made by them: the drawn-out hoots of the gentlemen and the short deaf cries of their girlfriends cannot be called particularly melodic.
The period of rearing offspring in the common owl begins quite early. White large eggs, of which there are usually about four pieces, hatch even during frosts, and by the end of April, as a rule, the first chicks have already left the nest of their parents.
In the photo, the nest of the Brazilian owl
Males help their girlfriends in a difficult period of offspring in everything, regularly bringing food to their chosen ones. The chicks of the common owl appear to the world in fluffy white clothes, later, covered with transverse stripes on the abdomen. When they are hungry, the children squeak voicelessly and hoarsely with a request for their parents to feed them.
Already in the first year of life, fast-growing offspring become sexually mature. It is believed, although it is not precisely established, that owls live for about five years. However, cases of longevity are known, when the age of birds lasted about twenty or more years.
But in the wild, such owls often die, becoming victims of accidents and insidious predators. Near human buildings, they die by hitting wires and when colliding with cars. Many species of these birds are considered rare, a striking example of this is the bearded owl. Red Book takes care of their protection.