Tawny Owl
Strix aluco
Where is it found?
Forest
Diet and foraging method
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Nocturnal hunter. Tawny Owls swoop down on prey from their perch.
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Key adaptations
Tawny Owls wing feathers are soft and fluffy on top and at the edges of the wing so that Tawny Owls are silent in flight, making them excellent hunters!
Social organisation and mating system
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Monogamous breeding pairs for life.
Did you know that...?
Owls swallow small prey items whole and then regurgitate a "pellet" containing indigestible bones, feathers and fur.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Waldkauz-Strix aluco" by Andreas Trepte - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waldkauz-Strix_aluco.jpg#/media/File:Waldkauz-Strix_aluco.jpg
"Strix aluco 3 (Martin Mecnarowski)" by Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strix_aluco_3_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg#/media/File:Strix_aluco_3_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg
"Strix aluco 2 (Martin Mecnarowski)" by Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strix_aluco_2_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg#/media/File:Strix_aluco_2_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg
"Kattuggleägg" by Olle L - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kattuggle%C3%A4gg.JPG#/media/File:Kattuggle%C3%A4gg.JPG
"Strix aluco 3young" by photo taken by Artur Mikołajewski - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strix_aluco_3young.jpg#/media/File:Strix_aluco_3young.jpg
"Tawny Owl Lincolnshire" by Joe Pell - Tawny Owl. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tawny_Owl_Lincolnshire.jpg#/media/File:Tawny_Owl_Lincolnshire.jpg
"SyrniumBiddulphiKeulemans" by John Gerrard Keulemans - The Ibis, ser. 4, vol. 5. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SyrniumBiddulphiKeulemans.jpg#/media/File:SyrniumBiddulphiKeulemans.jpg
"Waldkauz-Strix aluco" by Andreas Trepte - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waldkauz-Strix_aluco.jpg#/media/File:Waldkauz-Strix_aluco.jpg
"Strix aluco 3 (Martin Mecnarowski)" by Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strix_aluco_3_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg#/media/File:Strix_aluco_3_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg
"Strix aluco 2 (Martin Mecnarowski)" by Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strix_aluco_2_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg#/media/File:Strix_aluco_2_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg
"Kattuggleägg" by Olle L - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kattuggle%C3%A4gg.JPG#/media/File:Kattuggle%C3%A4gg.JPG
"Strix aluco 3young" by photo taken by Artur Mikołajewski - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strix_aluco_3young.jpg#/media/File:Strix_aluco_3young.jpg
"Tawny Owl Lincolnshire" by Joe Pell - Tawny Owl. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tawny_Owl_Lincolnshire.jpg#/media/File:Tawny_Owl_Lincolnshire.jpg
"SyrniumBiddulphiKeulemans" by John Gerrard Keulemans - The Ibis, ser. 4, vol. 5. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SyrniumBiddulphiKeulemans.jpg#/media/File:SyrniumBiddulphiKeulemans.jpg