Animal profile

Tawny Owl

Strix aluco

AvesDeciduous and mixed woodland, parkland, large gardens and churchyardsLeast Concern

Field profile

A stocky woodland owl with a rounded head, dark eyes and mottled brown or grey plumage. It is strictly nocturnal, hunts small mammals and birds from perches, and holds a territory year-round. It is the source of the classic hooting and shrieking heard in European woodland.

Published field notes

2026-03-22

Tawny Owl

The classic twit-twoo is two owls, not one

The familiar call is a duet. The sharp kewick comes from one bird, usually the female, and the quavering hoooo from another, usually the male, so a single tawny owl never produces the whole phrase alone.

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