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Tawny Owl Strix aluco   [Linnaeus, 1758]
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   Page updated:16-January-2013
Order: Strigiformes Family: Strigidae
BTO Codes: TO, TAWOW EURING No: 7610
Number in Britain: 19 thousand pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: GREEN
European: Not a species of concern
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder
Subspecies: sylvatica recorded in Britain (of 11 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 38 cm Wingspan: 99 cm Weight: M: 420 g   F: 520 g    
Scientific name from: Gr.: strix=an owl and Italian: allocco=Tawny Owl (from L.:ulucus=screech-owl)
World Distribution: Eurasia (not north)
Habitat: Forest, woodland, towns
Diet: Small mammals, birds, amphibians, worms and beetles, mostly between dusk and dawn
TitBit: The 'tu-whit, tu woo' call (a corruption of that originally described by Shakespeare in Love's Labour's Lost) probably reflects a male (who hoots) and a female (whose call is now often rendered 'keewick') calling to each other.  

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: BirdTrends   
Regional Trends: England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps   
British Population Size:
    Summer: 19 thousand pairs in 2000     Note: Best estimate
    First Record: Recorded in Anglo-Saxon times [Fossil evidence from Devensian (last) glaciation, 10-120,000 yr ago]
    Conservation Status: GREEN
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 GREEN     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern: sylvatica GREEN
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Deciduous Wood
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
    Summer: 445 to 900 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: Bern(III), CITES(II)
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack
Results from Garden BirdWatch

Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 48 x 39 mm Egg Weight: 39.0 g (of which 7 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 389
Clutch Size: 2 - 3 eggs 2.56 ± 0.79 (1 - 6) N = 2607
Incubation: 30 days 29.63 ± 1.53 (27 - 32.5) N = 2607   by the: Female
Fledging: 35 - 39days 36.17 ± 2.81 (32 - 40.5) N = 4255 as: Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 23 Mar (5 Mar - 4 May)
Number of Broods: 1
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.738 ± 0.045       
Juvenile Survival: 0.301 (in First-Year)  
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 4 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 21 years 5 months 13 days (set in 1988)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics
Ring Size: G
Wing Length Sexually dimorphic (female much larger than male)
Male: 259.4 ± 7.4     Range 240.0 - 275.0 mm, (N = 54)
Female: 271.7 ± 14.8     Range 236.0 - 290.0 mm, (N = 235)
Weight Sexually dimorphic (female much larger than male)
Male: 385.7 ± 44.64 Range 267.0 - 562.0 g , (N =37)
Female: 513.8 ± 58.60 Range 276.0 - 705.0 g , (N =179)
Seasonal: Summer 479.9 ± 68.89 (N = 404)   Autumn 428.9 ± 53.94 (N = 72)   Winter 440.9 ± 68.73 (N = 94)  
Source: British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names
 
Gaelic: Comhachag-dhonn Welsh: Tylluan Frech
Danish: Natugle Dutch: Bosuil
Finnish: Lehtopöllö French: Chouette hulotte
German: Waldkauz Hungarian: Macskabagoly
Icelandic: Náttugla Irish:
Italian: Allocco Norwegian: Kattugle
Polish: Puszczyk zwyczajny Portuguese: Coruja-do-mato
Spanish: Cárabo común Swedish: Kattuggla
Local Names:Brown Owl

For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Mikkola, H. 1983 Owls of Europe Poyser, Calton [598.71 MIK]
   Galeotti, P. 2001 BWP Update 3:43-77
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead