American Robin hidden among the foliage as she incubates her eggs.
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American Robin hidden among the foliage as she incubates her eggs.
We catch all of our Flamingos every year. We count them and make sure they're healthy. And it doesn't cause them any stress. They're weighed and fitted with a microchip each
Recent hatchlings are microchipped. And we do DNA tests to confirm whether new arrivals are male or female.
We pay special attention to their feet because we hardly ever get to see them. Feet can be prone to disease so it's important to keep an eye on them.
We switch their eggs with wooden replicas
To give the chicks the best chance of hatching, we'll remove the eggs and put them in an incubator. The parents are given numbered wooden eggs so they continue to nest. When the chicks are ready to hatch, we put them back on their nest and let them hatch naturally. www.chesterzoo.org/our-zoo/animals/flamingos/
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
Howbout you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramblin'_Boy
Great crested grebe nesting on flower bed
One of the thousands of Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea) nesting on Svalbard.
Together with lots of barnacle geese, they had found this really nice place among the pink moss campion (Silene acaulis) by a lagoon.
(Rødnebbterne blant fjellsmelle, in Norwegian)
My album of images from Svalbard here.
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Old illustration of Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea). By John Gould, publ. In London, 1862 – 1873
An Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) turning the eggs during the incubation on Paulet Island in the Weddell Sea, near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.
View of thousands of King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) incubating eggs at the King penguin colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island, sub-Antarctica.
Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) eggshells stolen by a skua on Paulet Island in the Weddell Sea, near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.
View of thousands of King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) incubating eggs at the King penguin colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island, sub-Antarctica.
View of thousands of King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) incubating eggs at the King penguin colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island, sub-Antarctica.
An Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is stretching during incubating eggs, exposing the egg and brood pouch, on Paulet Island in the Weddell Sea, near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.
View of thousands of King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) incubating eggs at the King penguin colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island, sub-Antarctica.
Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) nesting (incubating eggs) on Paulet Island in the Weddell Sea, near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica.
Today we stay at beautiful Tranøy lighthouse in Northern Norway, where lots of Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea), like this yawning one, are nesting.
I've just photographed them resting, fishing, fighting, and together with their cute chicks. I also got many photos of them on my recent trip to Svalbard.
Since I haven't edited the new ones yet - this one is from Northern Norway last year, while waiting for a ferry by a colony.
(Rødnebbterne in Norwegian)
My album of birds here.
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This will be my last posting on Flickr for awhile, as I'm heading out to Europe and Hungary on a long awaited birding trip 😀
I'll be keeping my eye on your amazing images, but I'll be less active on my Flickr pages, All the best, Steve.
'Caught in a sunbeam'.
The elusive hunter caught in a sunbeam with its magical deep orange eyes...the stunning Long-eared Owl In full camouflage posture with raised ear tufts, staring out warily. I photographed this beauty in the last rays and sunbeams of the evening sunshine as the light was fading in one of its favoured habitats, a dense wooded thicket in West Yorkshire, UK.
Wise and regal, with an imposing stare and elusive nature. Our most nocturnal Owl, with a penchant for recycling other bird’s old nests. It lives in dense woodland and is a skilful hunter.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Long-eared Owl Notes and information:
Quick facts...
Common name: Long-eared Owl
Scientific name: Asio otus
Family: Strigidae (owls)
Habitat: coniferous or mixed woodland
Diet: voles, mice, small birds
Predators: no natural predators
Origin: native
What do long-eared owls look like?
The long-eared owl has mottled orange-brown feathers, distinct white eyebrows and striking orange eyes. It has large head feathers or ‘ear tufts’ which become raised when the owl is alarmed; normally the tufts are flattened.
It is medium in size, with a wingspan of 95cm. It looks deceptively long and thin when in flight, but is actually no bigger than a woodpigeon.
Not to be confused with: the short-eared owl. When the long-eared owl's head feathers are flattened, it can be confused with the short-eared owl. However, the short-eared has yellow eyes and is paler in colour.
What do long-eared owls eat?
The long-eared owl enjoys a diet made up of small mammals, particularly voles and mice. During the winter when food is scarce, it has been known to eat small birds. When hunting, it sweeps through open country, flying to and fro in a zig-zag pattern while scanning the ground for food. Once its prey has been spotted, the owl swoops down and bites the back of the prey's head, immobilising it instantly.
Did you know?
In winter, long-eared owls often roost in a group, which is known as a ‘parliament of owls’.
How do long-eared owls breed?
The long-eared owl is extremely elusive during the breeding season, which takes place from February onwards. It will nest in conifer trees, often rearing its young in the disused nests of other birds. It is also known to use tree hollows and artificial nesting baskets.
It lays a clutch of three to five eggs, and after around 25–30 days the chicks will hatch. The chicks are then ready to fledge 30 days after hatching, although they will still need to be fed by their parents for up to two months.
Where do long-eared owls live?
Long-eared owls live in mixed and coniferous woodland, preferring the cover of dense, shrubby thickets, hedgerows and conifer trees. They are found across the UK, although there are fewer birds in Wales and the South West. WT Notes.
The long-eared owl has striking orange eyes.
Credit: Tom Meaker / Alamy Stock Photo
Did you know?
Despite being called the ‘long-eared’ owl, the tufts on its head aren’t actually ears at all; they are simply used to make it look bigger!
Signs and spotting tips
The best time to spot long-eared owls is when they are on migration, travelling to coastal areas, or when they are travelling to or from roosting sites during the winter. As they are nocturnal – and said to be the most nocturnal of all the owls – and hunt at night, this would be the best time to see them on the wing. Listen out for their sombre ‘hoo, hoo’ hoot during summer evenings.
Long-eared owl call
Audio: Peter Boesman / xeno-canto.org
Credit: Paul Johnson / Alamy Stock Photo
Threats and conservation
The long-eared owl is believed to be abundant in the UK; however it is difficult to determine exact populations due to the bird’s elusive nature. It has been suggested that long-eared owls are declining in some areas due to habitat loss and an increase in competition with the tawny owl.
Did you know?
There is thought to be a larger population of long-eared owls in Ireland, which could be because the tawny owl (the long-eared owl’s biggest competitor) is not present there.
Key information
The long-eared owl is a medium-sized owl, smaller in size than a woodpigeon. It often looks long and thin, with head feathers (known as ear tufts, even though they are not ears) which it raises when alarmed. It is buff-brown with darker brown streaks and deep orange eyes.
It breeds thinly across the UK with fewer birds in the south-west and Wales. Northern birds migrate southwards, including birds from Europe coming to spend the winter in the UK, while southern birds are residents and only move short distances to find food.
What they eat:
Small rodents, and small birds in winter.
Measurements:
Length:35-37 cm
Wingspan:84-95 cm
Weight:210-370 gPopulation:
UK breeding:1,800-6,000 pairs
Identifying features:
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff Grey Orange
Leg colour: Brown
Beak: Black Short Hooked Chunky
Natural habitats: Woodland Farmland Wetland
Where and when to see them
Long-eared owls are nocturnal and secretive, so unlikely to be seen other than on migration (when birds may turn up on coasts at any time of day) or when leaving or returning to a communal roost site in winter. RSPB Notes.
'Brock the Badger'.
The European Badger sets out on its nightly forage for earthworms...which generally make up around 80% of their diet. They can eat several hundred worms each night. But being omnivorous, they will eat almost anything, from flesh and fruit to bulbs and birds' eggs. Captured here as darkness sets in West Yorkshire.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
European Badger Notes and Information:
Badgers are the UK’s largest land predator and are one of the most well-known British species. They are famed for their black and white stripes and sturdy body, using their strong front paws to dig for food and to perfect their hobbit-like burrows, called ‘setts’.
Species information
Category: Mammals
Statistics
Length: 75-100cm
Tail: 15cm
Weight: 8-12kg
Average lifespan: 5-8 years
Conservation status
Protected in the UK under the Protection of Badgers Act, 1992, and the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.
When to see
January to December
About
The black-and-white striped badger is a well-known species in the UK. It is our largest land predator feeding on small mammals, birds’ eggs, worms, fruit and plants. Badgers live in large family groups in burrows under the ground called a ‘sett’. You know if a sett is lived in as it is usually neat and tidy with clean doorways marked with piles of used bedding made up of dry grass and leaves. There will also be a particularly smelly pit nearby that the badgers use as a toilet! They have strong front paws, which they use to dig for food. Cubs are born in January or February but spend the first few months underground only coming out in spring when it is a little warmer.
How to identify
An unmistakable animal, the badger is large and grey, with a short, fluffy tail, black belly and paws, and a black-and-white striped face.
Distribution
Found throughout England, Wales, Scotland (except for the far north) and Northern Ireland. Absent from Scottish islands, the Isle of Man, the Isles of Scilly and the Channel Islands.
Habitats
Grassland, Heathland and moorland, Farmland, Orchard, Woodland Towns and gardens.
Did you know?
Badgers can eat several hundred earthworms a night! They are also one of the only predators of hedgehogs - their thick skin and long claws help them to get past the vicious spines. If food is in short supply, badgers will forage during the day, as well as at night. If there are badgers nearby, you can tempt them into your garden by leaving unsalted peanuts out - a tasty snack for our striped friends.
The Wildlife Trusts believe that the scientific evidence available does not support a cull as it would not decrease incidences of bTB transmission from badgers to cattle. Instead it would simply disperse badger populations to the detriment of the countryside. Instead, we are urging for vaccinations against bTB to be the way forward NWT Notes.
'Hide and wait'. The elusive hunter...the stunning Long-eared Owl. I photographed this beauty focusing on its eye through the trees, as the light was fading in one of its favoured habitats, a dense wooded thicket in West Yorkshire, UK. Looking like a sentry guard, In full camouflage posture with raised ear tufts as it starred out warily.
Wise and regal, with an imposing stare and elusive nature. Our most nocturnal Owl, with a penchant for recycling other bird’s old nests. It lives in dense woodland and is a skilful hunter.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Long-eared Owl Notes and information:
Quick facts...
Common name: Long-eared Owl
Scientific name: Asio otus
Family: Strigidae (owls)
Habitat: coniferous or mixed woodland
Diet: voles, mice, small birds
Predators: no natural predators
Origin: native
What do long-eared owls look like?
The long-eared owl has mottled orange-brown feathers, distinct white eyebrows and striking orange eyes. It has large head feathers or ‘ear tufts’ which become raised when the owl is alarmed; normally the tufts are flattened.
It is medium in size, with a wingspan of 95cm. It looks deceptively long and thin when in flight, but is actually no bigger than a woodpigeon.
Not to be confused with: the short-eared owl. When the long-eared owl's head feathers are flattened, it can be confused with the short-eared owl. However, the short-eared has yellow eyes and is paler in colour.
What do long-eared owls eat?
The long-eared owl enjoys a diet made up of small mammals, particularly voles and mice. During the winter when food is scarce, it has been known to eat small birds. When hunting, it sweeps through open country, flying to and fro in a zig-zag pattern while scanning the ground for food. Once its prey has been spotted, the owl swoops down and bites the back of the prey's head, immobilising it instantly.
Did you know?
In winter, long-eared owls often roost in a group, which is known as a ‘parliament of owls’.
How do long-eared owls breed?
The long-eared owl is extremely elusive during the breeding season, which takes place from February onwards. It will nest in conifer trees, often rearing its young in the disused nests of other birds. It is also known to use tree hollows and artificial nesting baskets.
It lays a clutch of three to five eggs, and after around 25–30 days the chicks will hatch. The chicks are then ready to fledge 30 days after hatching, although they will still need to be fed by their parents for up to two months.
Where do long-eared owls live?
Long-eared owls live in mixed and coniferous woodland, preferring the cover of dense, shrubby thickets, hedgerows and conifer trees. They are found across the UK, although there are fewer birds in Wales and the South West. WT Notes.
The long-eared owl has striking orange eyes.
Credit: Tom Meaker / Alamy Stock Photo
Did you know?
Despite being called the ‘long-eared’ owl, the tufts on its head aren’t actually ears at all; they are simply used to make it look bigger!
Signs and spotting tips
The best time to spot long-eared owls is when they are on migration, travelling to coastal areas, or when they are travelling to or from roosting sites during the winter. As they are nocturnal – and said to be the most nocturnal of all the owls – and hunt at night, this would be the best time to see them on the wing. Listen out for their sombre ‘hoo, hoo’ hoot during summer evenings.
Long-eared owl call
Audio: Peter Boesman / xeno-canto.org
Credit: Paul Johnson / Alamy Stock Photo
Threats and conservation
The long-eared owl is believed to be abundant in the UK; however it is difficult to determine exact populations due to the bird’s elusive nature. It has been suggested that long-eared owls are declining in some areas due to habitat loss and an increase in competition with the tawny owl.
Did you know?
There is thought to be a larger population of long-eared owls in Ireland, which could be because the tawny owl (the long-eared owl’s biggest competitor) is not present there.
Key information
The long-eared owl is a medium-sized owl, smaller in size than a woodpigeon. It often looks long and thin, with head feathers (known as ear tufts, even though they are not ears) which it raises when alarmed. It is buff-brown with darker brown streaks and deep orange eyes.
It breeds thinly across the UK with fewer birds in the south-west and Wales. Northern birds migrate southwards, including birds from Europe coming to spend the winter in the UK, while southern birds are residents and only move short distances to find food.
What they eat:
Small rodents, and small birds in winter.
Measurements:
Length:35-37 cm
Wingspan:84-95 cm
Weight:210-370 gPopulation:
UK breeding:1,800-6,000 pairs
Identifying features:
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff Grey Orange
Leg colour: Brown
Beak: Black Short Hooked Chunky
Natural habitats: Woodland Farmland Wetland
Where and when to see them
Long-eared owls are nocturnal and secretive, so unlikely to be seen other than on migration (when birds may turn up on coasts at any time of day) or when leaving or returning to a communal roost site in winter. RSPB Notes.
'Ghost Owl'.
A beautiful Male Barn Owl, tyto alba, or 'Ghost Owl' to give it one of its older names. Banking in its hunting flight path, It can be seen here how it got its 'Ghost' name...a white flash is all its prey would see before being dispatched with those deadly talons which can be studied in this hunting image, taken on an early March evening in West Yorkshire.
Hunting:
Barn Owls prefer a mixed farming habitat with spinneys, ditches, rough pastures and well-managed field margins. Grassland makes good hunting ground, along with hay meadows. They are often found around farm buildings, barns and the edge of villages. A breeding pair of barn owls needs around 1.5 ha of rough grass!
Food:
Short-tailed field voles are the preferred prey species, making up to 60% of their diet. Barn owls will also hunt for mice, shrews, small rats and birds..
Nesting:
Barn Owls will breed from April to August, and a second brood may be reared when food sources are high. A breeding pair will use the same nest site year after year if undisturbed. The female lays four to seven white eggs in an unlined hole of a tree or barn. They will nest in good owl boxes that are a sufficient size, in a good habitat location and draught-free.
Song/Call:
“Shreeee” - A shrill, hoarse shriek, often repeated. The begging call of young is more wheezy.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Barn Owl Notes and Information:
What did they call the Barn Owl before barns were first built?
Ghost Owl, Hobgoblin Owl, Demon Owl, Death Owl, Hissing Owl, Church Owl? to mention a few! …Barn Owls were around long before the first farmers built barns to keep their animals or crops dry! They lived in rock crevices and hollow trees, and sometimes still do. But about 5,500 years ago, as soon as people began to build haystacks and animal shelters, Barn Owls moved in.
Its latin name—Tyto alba—simply means 'White Owl. ... Perhaps because of their white, ghost-like, appearance or their preference to hunt in open areas that can include cemeteries, barn owls have been associated with bad omens and even death!
The Barn Owl is a species of open country, favouring lowland habitats such as farmland and young plantation woodland. Populations have recovered somewhat from an earlier period of decline and have benefited from the erection of nest boxes and appropriate habitat management. Barn Owl is listed on Schedule One of the Wildlife & Countryside Act and so receives additional protection during the breeding season; a Schedule One licence is required to visit the nest of this species.
Calls and identification Calls:
The Barn Owl is not a particularly vocal species, the drawn out screech of the male only likely to be heard during the early stages of the breeding season.
Barn Owl chicks make a hissing call, sometimes referred to as ‘snoring’, when in the nest. This is used as a begging call and may be heard early in the evening when the chicks are waiting for one of their parents to make a feeding visit. The extent to which a chick calls provides an indication to its siblings of the individual’s willingness to compete for the next food item to be delivered.
Some individuals can look particularly ‘washed out’, while others are darker and have more strongly patterned plumage. Female Barn Owls are typically darker in their colouration than males and, additionally, have marked speckling on their flanks and underwing, which is rare in males. The dark-breasted race guttata, which occurs on the continent, may sometimes appear in Britain; such individuals are much darker in their appearance than our resident birds. In flight, adult Barn Owls may be confused with Short-eared Owl, a species alongside which they may hunt, though the latter species has more strongly patterned plumage and piercing yellow eyes.
Ecology and Conservation...
Ecology:
Distributed widely across Britain and Ireland, the Barn Owl is limited by winter weather conditions and so is absent from upland areas and the most northerly regions. The species is most familiar as an owl of lowland farmland – both pastoral and arable – with peak densities occurring in East Anglia, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. Within Ireland the core breeding range is now centred on the south-west of the country. Favoured habitats contain areas of rough grassland and woodland edge, within which populations of Field Vole (the favoured prey) are sufficiently abundant. These habitats include the early successional stages of commercial plantation forest. In some areas, such as the arable landscapes of the Fens, secondary prey species like Wood Mouse become more important in the diet. The availability of small mammal prey shapes breeding behaviour; breeding may be delayed or not take place at all in those years when small mammal populations are at a low.
The Barn Owl is a cavity nester, favouring large cavities within mature hedgerow trees or the ledges found in old agricultural buildings. The species has adapted well to nest boxes, and it is likely that a significant proportion of the breeding population – probably well in excess of 25% - now uses them for breeding. Incubation begins with the first egg and, since consecutive eggs are laid at intervals of c.2 days, the resulting brood of chicks can vary in age by as much as two weeks. This strategy increases the chances of at least some chicks surviving if prey availability is low during the chick rearing period; the oldest and largest chicks will receive food first, at the expense of the last to hatch.
Key facts
Clutch Size: 4 – 6 eggs
Incubation: 32 days
Fledging: 53 – 61 days
First Clutches Laid: April – May
Number of Broods: 1 – 2
Age at First Breeding: 1 year
Typical Lifespan: 4 years
Maximum Age from Ringing: 15 years 3 months 21 days (set in 2016)
Conservation:
The Barn Owl was certainly a far more common species at the beginning of the 20th century than it is today, but numbers have recovered from a low point evident during the 1970s and 1980s and may now exceed 10,000 breeding pairs. The last national survey, carried out between 1994 and 1997, but the population at c.4,000 breeding pairs. Though previously Amber listed through its loss of UK range, the species was moved to the UK Green list in 2015.
The efforts of volunteers have helped the species, with the erection of nest boxes replacing nesting opportunities that had been lost to the removal of hedgerow trees and the conversion of old farm buildings. Road mortality remains an important cause of death for young birds, particularly during the period of natal dispersal when they move away from where they were raised to establish a breeding territory of their own. Agricultural chemicals, including pesticide seed dressings and rodenticides, may have had an impact on Barn Owl populations, making ongoing monitoring an important priority. Work to provide suitable hunting habitat, and to tackle other potential causes of mortality, has also benefited the species BTO notes.
'Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon'.
The 'Little' Owl with the big character captured chilling out in a grass meadow on a sunny afternoon in West Yorkshire, disturbing its rest occasionally as it flew off its stone perch to catch a passing insect, beetle, caterpillar, moth, spider, slug, mouse or vole!
During the breeding season, and throughout the summer, a pair of Little Owls may be heard calling to each other with a mewing sound. A hollow or crevice in an old tree is usually chosen as a nesting site, but walls of old buildings, rabbit holes and old nests of other hole-nesting birds may also be used. Once established, a nest site is often used year after year. No special nesting material is collected.
Three to five smooth white eggs are laid and the female usually begins incubating as soon as the first egg is laid, which means there is normally an age difference of a few days between each fledgling. Sometimes the female does not begin incubating until her clutch is complete. Hatching occurs after 24 to 25 days and the fledglings are covered with a creamy down which later changes to reddish-grey. The young owls are ready to leave the nest in three and a half weeks, but their parents continue to feed them for some time.
Food and Hunting:
This owl is not strictly nocturnal and is often active during the day (diurnal) and can often be seen perched on fence posts or telegraph poles. If approached it will bob up and down nervously, waggling its head. Sometimes it will be attacked by hordes of other birds, who are not deceived by its small size, recognising it as a fierce predator.
Hunting is carried out mainly at dawn and dusk. The most frequent prey includes beetles, caterpillars, moths, spiders, slugs, mice and voles. Being a fierce, daring bird, equipped with powerful talons, it will tackle mammals and birds of its own size.
Introduced into the UK in the 19th century, the diminutive little owl can now be seen along hedgerows, on farmland and in parkland across England and Wales.
The little owl, also known as the owl of Athena or owl of Minerva, is a bird that inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, the Palearctic east to Korea, and North Africa. It was introduced into Britain at the end of the 19th century and into the South Island of New Zealand in the early 20th century.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Little Owl Notes and information:
Category: Birds of prey
Statistics:
Length: 21-23cm
Wingspan: 56cm
Weight: 180g
Average lifespan: 3 years
Conservation status:
Introduced, non-native species.
When to see:
January to December
About...
Although mainly nocturnal, the little owl can be spotted in the day hunting invertebrates (especially worms), small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and small birds. It is often seen perched a telegraph pole, an old parkland tree, along a hedgerow, or on a rock; from these positions, it quietly scans the ground for prey. When it spots something, it swoops down and catches its victim with either its claws or beak. little owls breed between March and August, forming monogamous pairs and nesting in hollow trees.
How to identify:
The little owl is small and brown, with a short tail and yellow eyes.
Distribution:
Found in England, Wales and southern Scotland.
Habitats:
Grassland, Heathland and moorland, Farmland, Coastal, Wetlands, Woodland, Towns and gardens
Did you know?
The Little Owl was introduced to the UK from the continent in the 19th century. WT Notes.
Key information RSPB Notes...
This small owl was introduced to the UK in the 19th century. It can be seen in the daylight, usually perching on a tree branch, telegraph pole or rock. It will bob its head up and down when alarmed. In flight it has long, rounded wings, rapid wingbeats and flies with a slight undulation.
Breeding Bird Survey data suggest that little owl numbers are declining, with the UK population estimated to be down by 24 per cent between 1995 and 2008.
What they eat:
Small mammals and birds, beetles and worms.
Measurements:
Length:21-23cm
Wingspan:54-58cm
Weight:140-220gPopulation:
UK breeding:5,700 pairs
Identifying features:
Feather colour: Brown Cream/buff White
Leg colour: Yellow
Beak: Black Brown Short Hooked Chunky
Natural habitats: Woodland Farmland Grassland Urban and suburban
Little Owl
The little owl is much the smallest owl to be found in Britain: it weighs a third as much as a tawny owl
There are, however, much smaller owls to be found in Europe. Both the scops owl and the pygmy owl are considerably lighter and daintier.
It is not a native to Britain, though it occurs naturally right up to the French coast of the English Channel.
It was successfully introduced to Britain by two landowners: Col. E.G.B.Meade-Waldo at Stonewall Park, near Edenbridge in Kent (in 1874), and the 4th Lord Lilford at Lilford Hall, Oundle in Northamptonshire from 1889.
So successful was Lord Lilford’s introduction that for a while the birds were known in England as Lilford’s owl.
Lord Lilford collected the birds he released in England from Holland, liberating a number of birds over several years.
By about 1925 the little owl’s range extended as far north as Lancashire and Yorkshire.
The bird’s successful colonisation of England and Wales is explained by the fact that there was an empty niche in our countryside for a largely insectivorous small bird of prey.
Holes in trees are the favoured nest sites, but nest boxes are adopted readily.
The clutch of between two and five white eggs is generally laid in late March or early April, with incubation taking 7-28 days.
Though the young are not fully fledged until about 35 days, they often leave the nest some days earlier, perching on nearby branches.
Most young birds disperse in the autumn, usually settling within 20km of their birthplace.
Adults are sedentary, remaining in their territory throughout the year. The pairs maintain a life-long bond.
Like most owls, they are noisy birds, with a wide variety of calls, and they can often be heard during the day.
Though most active between dawn and dusk, they can often be seen about during the day, often in full daylight, though they seldom hunt in the day.
The undulating flight on short, rounded wings is highly distinctive and unlike any of our other owls.
Though insects and small rodents form the bulk of their food, they do take a wide variety of prey, including roosting small birds and even amphibians.
Much of their hunting is done on foot, with the birds running actively to capture their prey.
They were first introduced to New Zealand in 1906, and soon became established on South Island, where they can still be found today.
In Greek mythology, the little owl was the bird sacred to Pallas Athene, the goddess of wisdom.
The connection to Greek mythology is celebrated in the bird’s Latin name, Athene noctua, living with birds notes.
'Silent but Deadly Hunter'.
A beautiful Male Barn Owl, tyto alba, heading home with a Short-tailed Field Vole in his fearsome talons on an early April evening in West Yorkshire.
Hunting:
Barn Owls prefer a mixed farming habitat with spinneys, ditches, rough pastures and well-managed field margins. Grassland makes good hunting ground, along with hay meadows. They are often found around farm buildings, barns and the edge of villages. A breeding pair of barn owls needs around 1.5 ha of rough grass!
Food:
Short-tailed field voles are the preferred prey species, making up to 60% of their diet. Barn owls will also hunt for mice, shrews, small rats and birds..
Nesting:
Barn Owls will breed from April to August, and a second brood may be reared when food sources are high. A breeding pair will use the same nest site year after year if undisturbed. The female lays four to seven white eggs in an unlined hole of a tree or barn. They will nest in good owl boxes that are a sufficient size, in a good habitat location and draught-free.
Song/Call:
“Shreeee” - A shrill, hoarse shriek, often repeated. The begging call of young is more wheezy.
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Barn Owl Notes and Information:
What did they call the Barn Owl before barns were first built?
Ghost Owl, Hobgoblin Owl, Demon Owl, Death Owl, Hissing Owl, Church Owl? to mention a few! …Barn Owls were around long before the first farmers built barns to keep their animals or crops dry! They lived in rock crevices and hollow trees, and sometimes still do. But about 5,500 years ago, as soon as people began to build haystacks and animal shelters, Barn Owls moved in.
Its latin name—Tyto alba—simply means 'White Owl. ... Perhaps because of their white, ghost-like, appearance or their preference to hunt in open areas that can include cemeteries, barn owls have been associated with bad omens and even death!
The Barn Owl is a species of open country, favouring lowland habitats such as farmland and young plantation woodland. Populations have recovered somewhat from an earlier period of decline and have benefited from the erection of nest boxes and appropriate habitat management. Barn Owl is listed on Schedule One of the Wildlife & Countryside Act and so receives additional protection during the breeding season; a Schedule One licence is required to visit the nest of this species.
Calls and identification Calls:
The Barn Owl is not a particularly vocal species, the drawn out screech of the male only likely to be heard during the early stages of the breeding season.
Barn Owl chicks make a hissing call, sometimes referred to as ‘snoring’, when in the nest. This is used as a begging call and may be heard early in the evening when the chicks are waiting for one of their parents to make a feeding visit. The extent to which a chick calls provides an indication to its siblings of the individual’s willingness to compete for the next food item to be delivered.
Some individuals can look particularly ‘washed out’, while others are darker and have more strongly patterned plumage. Female Barn Owls are typically darker in their colouration than males and, additionally, have marked speckling on their flanks and underwing, which is rare in males. The dark-breasted race guttata, which occurs on the continent, may sometimes appear in Britain; such individuals are much darker in their appearance than our resident birds. In flight, adult Barn Owls may be confused with Short-eared Owl, a species alongside which they may hunt, though the latter species has more strongly patterned plumage and piercing yellow eyes.
Ecology and Conservation...
Ecology:
Distributed widely across Britain and Ireland, the Barn Owl is limited by winter weather conditions and so is absent from upland areas and the most northerly regions. The species is most familiar as an owl of lowland farmland – both pastoral and arable – with peak densities occurring in East Anglia, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. Within Ireland the core breeding range is now centred on the south-west of the country. Favoured habitats contain areas of rough grassland and woodland edge, within which populations of Field Vole (the favoured prey) are sufficiently abundant. These habitats include the early successional stages of commercial plantation forest. In some areas, such as the arable landscapes of the Fens, secondary prey species like Wood Mouse become more important in the diet. The availability of small mammal prey shapes breeding behaviour; breeding may be delayed or not take place at all in those years when small mammal populations are at a low.
The Barn Owl is a cavity nester, favouring large cavities within mature hedgerow trees or the ledges found in old agricultural buildings. The species has adapted well to nest boxes, and it is likely that a significant proportion of the breeding population – probably well in excess of 25% - now uses them for breeding. Incubation begins with the first egg and, since consecutive eggs are laid at intervals of c.2 days, the resulting brood of chicks can vary in age by as much as two weeks. This strategy increases the chances of at least some chicks surviving if prey availability is low during the chick rearing period; the oldest and largest chicks will receive food first, at the expense of the last to hatch.
Key facts
Clutch Size: 4 – 6 eggs
Incubation: 32 days
Fledging: 53 – 61 days
First Clutches Laid: April – May
Number of Broods: 1 – 2
Age at First Breeding: 1 year
Typical Lifespan: 4 years
Maximum Age from Ringing: 15 years 3 months 21 days (set in 2016)
Conservation:
The Barn Owl was certainly a far more common species at the beginning of the 20th century than it is today, but numbers have recovered from a low point evident during the 1970s and 1980s and may now exceed 10,000 breeding pairs. The last national survey, carried out between 1994 and 1997, but the population at c.4,000 breeding pairs. Though previously Amber listed through its loss of UK range, the species was moved to the UK Green list in 2015.
The efforts of volunteers have helped the species, with the erection of nest boxes replacing nesting opportunities that had been lost to the removal of hedgerow trees and the conversion of old farm buildings. Road mortality remains an important cause of death for young birds, particularly during the period of natal dispersal when they move away from where they were raised to establish a breeding territory of their own. Agricultural chemicals, including pesticide seed dressings and rodenticides, may have had an impact on Barn Owl populations, making ongoing monitoring an important priority. Work to provide suitable hunting habitat, and to tackle other potential causes of mortality, has also benefited the species BTO notes.