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. Most favorite place settlements - 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.
living in wild nature the tawny owl 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. IN one month old 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 point forward and two reverse side. 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.
Strix aluco Linnaeus, 1758
Order Owls - Strigiformes
Owl family - Strigidae
Spreading. In the Moscow region The Tawny Owl is widely distributed (1), but lives mainly in those areas where mature broad-leaved forests and old manor parks have been preserved. On the territory of Moscow in 1985-2000. regularly nested in 13 natural and natural-anthropogenic territories (2).
During the revision period, the places of its established or probable breeding were in Losiny Ostrov (3, 4), Sokolniki l-ke (5, 6), Izmailovsky forest (3, 7-9), Terletsky l-ke (10), l -ke "Kuskovo" (3, 11), Kuzminsky l-ke (12), Tsaritsynsky l-ke until 2007 (3, 13), us. "Narrow" (3, 14), on Sparrow Hills (15, 16), in Fili-Kuntsevsky l-ke (3, 17-21), Serebryany Bor (3, 22), LOD (23), GBS (24) and Ostankino Park (25), usd. "Vinogradovo" (3).
population. In 2001-2010 nesting of the Tawny Owl was registered in 13 forest and forest park areas. In years favorable for feeding conditions, its number in Moscow was at least 20-22 pairs.
Habitat features. Within the boundaries of Moscow, the Tawny Owl settles mainly in old and relatively undisturbed linden forests, which occupy fairly large areas in some forests, and also form the basis of some old manor parks. Separate pairs also live in oak forests and tall pine forests, where they are attracted by the hollows of the zhelny.
The presence of several large hollows in the forest area occupied by them is important for the stationary habitation of the owls, which they need for breeding chicks and shelter in the daytime. In forest areas, bank voles and wood mice form the basis of nutrition throughout the year, while owls living in small manor parks next to former fields and wastelands have common voles, field and house mice. For feeding owls, it also produces sparrows, takes out thrush chicks from nests, and catches other forest birds. It is an indicator of the preservation in Moscow of high-aged broad-leaved forests and relatively intact park linden forests.
negative factors. A limited number of forest areas in Moscow with old linden forests and oak forests that have retained their natural structure. Shortage of overmature hollow trees necessary for owls. Predation of the pine marten in the largest forest areas of the city. Recreational degradation of lime forests, causing a sharp decrease in the number of bank voles. Reconstruction of forest biotopes into park plantations with felling of hollow trees, complete transformation of the lower tiers of the forest and deterioration of the food supply of the species. Persecution by gray crows.
Conservation Measures Taken. On the territory of Moscow, the species was under special protection from 1978 to 1996. Listed in. Almost all the forests where he currently lives are located in protected areas - in the NP "Losiny Ostrov", P-IP "Izmailovo", "Kuzminki-Lyublino", "Tsaritsyno", "Bitsevsky Forest", "Moskvoretsky" and " Ostankino", PZ "Vorobyovy Gory", KZ "Petrovsko-Razumovskoye".
Change the state of a view. State of the species in the revision period compared to 1985-2000. remains relatively stable. His AC stays the same at 2.
Necessary conservation measures. Certification and registration of the stationary habitats of the gray owl, allocation of them to permanent storage with a regime prohibiting any anthropogenic transformation of the forest. During the reconstruction of manor parks - the preservation of old linden forests on their main area in their natural state.
Identification, registration and conservation of trees with hollows of the black woodpecker and other large hollows suitable for nesting of the owl. Removal of the pine marten, which destroys both chicks and adult owls in hollows, from Losiny Ostrov, Izmailovsky and Bitsevsky forests, SBL. Explanatory work with the population about the inadmissibility of removing owls that are not yet able to fly from the forest because of the false idea that they need help.
Information sources. 1. Kalyakin, Voltsit, 2006. 2. Red Book of the city of Moscow, 2001. 3. Authors' data. 4. Data by N.S. Morozov. 5. Ivanov, 2007a. 6. Ivanov, 2007b. 7. V.R. Ryazantsev, b.s. 8. Data of A.P. Ivanov. 9. Panfilova, 2008c. 10. Data of V.S. Fridman. 11. Data of V.A. Zakharov. 12. Data of E.A. Maralov. 13. Data of G.S. Eremkin. 14. Kalyakin, 2009a. 15. Data by A.V. Sharikov. 16. Kadetov et al., 2010. 17. Data from V.V. Tyakht. 18. Data from A. Kasparson. 19. Data of V.B. Basova. 20. Burtseva et al., 2009. 21. Sazonov, 2009. 22. Data from O.V. Borodin. 23. Tolstenkov and Ochagov, 2007. 24. Morozov, 2009a. 25. Groot Kurkamp, 2008. Authors: B.L. Samoilov, G.V. Morozova
The Tawny Owl is the most common species of owl among those that live in Europe. They can live both in remote corners of the forest, and not far from humans. The species belongs to the family of real owls.
Appearance
The body length on average ranges from 38 to 40 cm. The wingspan of the Tawny Owl reaches a meter. Adult birds weigh about 0.5 kg. Puberty occurs at the age of 2-3 years.
These birds, like other owls, have a large round head. But they don't have feather ears. The eyes are also large and round. The shape of the head and eyes is a distinctive feature of owls, by which they are easily distinguished from other birds. Their eyes look ahead.
The beak is short, curved. This shape allows the bird to easily butcher the caught prey.
The plumage may have a different color. There are gray and red individuals. Throughout the body there are dark longitudinal stripes.
The legs are covered with short plumage. The body is dense, the plumage is very dense. On the shoulders of the bird there are stripes of white color, resembling shoulder straps in their shape and location. The wings of the owl are wide and rounded. This shape allows the bird to maneuver during flight. There are 4 toes on the paws. 2 of them are directed forward, the rest are backward. The claws are sharp and long, which is typical for a bird of prey. The tail is short. During the flight, the owl spreads it like a fan.
Other types of owls
All owls have characteristic features birds of prey. The family includes 123 species. All of them are nocturnal. Some of them are active only at night, while others are only partially active. Most members of the family are small in size. But some species are much larger.Their coloration is variegated, not very bright. The plumage on the face is arranged in a circle, forming a facial disc. All these birds are perfectly adapted to hunting. Thanks to their excellent hearing and vision, they easily find prey, even if it hides in cover. In the silence of the night, the predator listens to the sounds and peers into the darkness.
They feed on small vertebrates and can also catch insects. Some species prey on fish.
Habitat in nature
The gray owl can be found in Africa and Eurasia. Birds are distributed throughout Europe, in the northern part of the African continent. They also live in Western Siberia. In Asia, the habitat of these birds reaches China and Korea.
They live in mountain and lowland forests. But they can even settle in a park or on the edge of a city. They hunt where there are many old deciduous trees.
Reproduction and nesting
These birds lead a sedentary lifestyle. Each male chooses for himself a site that he considers his home, and which he diligently protects from enemies. When nesting time comes, males begin to attract females with a peculiar sound in the form of hooting. This sound can be heard in the forest throughout the autumn. They don't build a nest. Instead, they use hollows abandoned by their old masters. Sometimes a crack in the wall, an attic or a cave serves instead. The gray owl can settle even in a birdhouse.
Before mating, the male shows peculiar signs of attention to the female. He gives her the prey he caught while hunting. The female can lay eggs between March and May. Usually the number of eggs ranges from 3 to 5, but if food supplies are too few or too many, there may be fewer or more, up to 9 pieces. The incubation period lasts for a month. During this period, the female does not hunt, the male brings her food. When the chicks hatch, the parents bring them food together. At the age of about a month, the owlets leave the nest and sit on a branch next to each other.
Lifestyle
As soon as dusk begins, the bird begins its hunt. Only at dawn, she flies into a hollow or sits on a branch to sleep.
They live in the forest, but they can also hunt on the plains. Small vertebrates, insects, worms can serve as food. Rodents are their favorite food. They sit on a branch and listen to all the rustles. As soon as the prey is detected, it takes off without making any sound. Thanks to good eyesight, the Tawny Owl is perfectly oriented even in complete darkness. She grabs her prey with her claws, quickly and swiftly diving down on her from above. It usually eats the catch in the same place, tearing it apart with its sharp beak. The victim, which she can eat completely, brings to her beak with her paw.
- The paws of these birds have 4 fingers, which is typical for almost all owls. One of the fingers is located higher in relation to the rest. When the Tawny Owl sits on a branch, 2 fingers look forward, while the others look back. One of the three front ones is turned back. It's called reverse.
- These birds are very protective of their young. If any stranger encroaches on them, the tawny owl immediately attacks him, trying to scratch his eyes with his sharp claws. In this case, the size of the threat does not matter. The bird will attack both a small predator and a large one. It can even attack a person.
- Representatives of this species do not have a goiter in which they could store prey. Therefore, the bird often feeds in small quantities. But they still make supplies, putting them in a safe place not far from their nest.
- Individuals living in the forest and in the city eat different foods. The main victims of forest dwellers are rodents. Urban owls prey on small birds. Sparrows and other wild birds become their dinner.
- Often, while walking through the forest, people find healthy chicks. It is not uncommon for them to fall when they are trying to learn to fly. Many believe that the chick is abandoned by its parents or injured, and they take it home. But in reality this cannot be done. If the bird does not have any visible injuries, then you do not need to touch it. Over time, he himself will return to the nest. You can help only sick or injured owlets.
Video: Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)
The Tawny Owl is the most common of all European owls. She willingly settles both in deaf deserted corners, and near human habitation.
Habitat. It lives in Europe, Asia and North Africa.
Habitat.
The Tawny Owl lives in Europe, Western Siberia and North Africa; in the east, its range extends to Korea, China and Taiwan. Most often, it inhabits flat and mountainous forests, but it does not avoid the cultural landscape either, settling in large city parks, cemeteries and the outskirts of settlements bordering open spaces. Tawny owl hunting grounds are usually located in areas with old deciduous or mixed stands.
Species: Gray owl - Stix aluco.
Family: Real owls.
Squad: Owls.
Class: Birds.
Subtype: Vertebrates.
Reproduction.
The gray owl lives sedentary. Each male acquires his own home area and vigilantly guards it from strangers. With the onset of the nesting season, males attract girlfriends with an inviting hoot, which can sometimes be heard in autumn - from September to early December. Not considering it necessary to build a nest, tawny owls usually settle in hollows abandoned by their former owners, but they can settle in wall cracks, abandoned bunkers, caves and even in attics, and sometimes they settle in birdhouses with special comfort. Before mating with a partner, the male shows signs of attention to her, presenting the caught prey as a gift. In March-May, the female lays eggs. Usually there are 3-5 white eggs in a clutch, but depending on game stocks, their number can vary from two to nine. For 30 days, the female incubates the clutch, eating only the offerings of her husband. Both parents feed the chicks. At the age of four weeks, the sow owls get out of the nest and sit in a row on a nearby branch.
Lifestyle.
As soon as twilight thickens above the ground, the owl flies out to hunt at night, and at dawn it hides in a hollow or sits on a favorite branch to sleep well until evening. The tawny owl usually nests in the forest, but hunts in open areas, not being too picky in the choice of prey - its menu includes small vertebrates, large insects and earthworms - although it hunts rodents with particular pleasure. Sitting on a branch, the predator sensitively listens to the night rustles and, having found prey, immediately breaks into a silent flight. Huge eyes allow her to navigate in space even on dark moonless nights. At the moment of attack, the owl dives, putting its paws forward, and unmistakably grabs the victim with sharp claws. The tawny owl always dines in one, long-chosen place, tearing off piece by piece with a sharp beak. Small prey, which can be swallowed whole, the owl brings to the mouth with its paw, as parrots do.
Did you know?
- Like all other owls, the paws of the owl are four-toed, with the back toe slightly higher than the others. A tawny owl perched on a branch has only two fingers looking forward. The first of the three front fingers is called the reverse and is turned back.
- Protecting its chicks, the tawny owl bravely attacks any stranger, without fail trying to hit him with his claws in the eyes. From the sharp beak and claws of the angry mistress of the nest, not only a large animal, but even a person will be unhappy.
- Having no goiter in which to store the eaten food, the tawny owl feeds often, but little by little, and stores the stocks of the game caught somewhere in the vicinity of the nest.
- The diet of the Tawny Owl differs significantly from the menu of its relatives living in cities. If forest owls feed mainly on small rodents, then city owls prefer to hunt small game birds, such as sparrows.
- People quite often pick up completely healthy tawny owl chicks on the ground that have fallen after an unsuccessful test flight, and, considering them abandoned, take them away. Under no circumstances should this be done. If the chick is safe and sound, it should be left in place, as it will be able to return to the nest on its own. Only weakened or injured owlets need our help.
Tawny Owl - Strix aluco.
Length: 37-39 cm.
Wingspan: 95-100 cm.
Weight: 450-550 g.
Number of eggs in clutch: 3-5.
Incubation period: 30 days.
Sexual maturity: 2-3 years.
Food: predator.
Structure.
Head. The head is large and round. Feather ears are absent.
Eyes. Large round eyes are turned forward.
Beak. A short, hooked, strongly bent down beak is very convenient when cutting prey.
Plumage. The general color tone varies from gray to light red. Against this background, a dark pattern of longitudinal stripes and dashes of different widths appears.
Legs. The legs and paws along the entire length are covered with short light feathers.
Body. The tightly knitted body is completely covered with dense loose plumage.
White stripe. On the shoulders are visible stripes of white feathers similar to shoulder straps.
Wings. Wide rounded wings provide high maneuverability in flight.
Fingers. Paws are four-fingered: two fingers look forward, two - back.
claws. The fingers are armed with long and sharp, hook-like claws.
Tail. Short tail deployed in a wide fan in flight.
related species.
Owls are typical feathered predators. The family of true owls includes 123 species of birds, wholly or partly nocturnal. Owls are comparatively small, though certain types are impressive in size. The coloration of owls is dull with mottling: the plumage of the face forms a round facial disk. All owls are excellent hunters: unusually sharp eyesight and hearing allow them to accurately find prey in thickets of grass or under snow. Owls hunt for small vertebrates, sometimes insects; some species feed on fish.
Tawny Owl - Strix aluco Linnaeus- an owl of medium size 36-46 cm, 380-660 g. Length of males: 41-43.5 cm, wingspan: 91-95 cm, weight: 410-550 g. Length of females: 43.5-46.0 cm , wingspan: 94-105 cm, weight: 410-800 g. The color is gray, chestnut-brown and reddish, as well as mixed types.
The most common grayish-brown owls with dark streaks and white or cream spots on the wings. The belly is light with dark vertical stripes. Light “eyebrows” are clearly visible, the crown is dark brown with white elements. The facial disc is reddish-brown, light and dark in color, bordered with dark feathers; in gray individuals, the main color of the facial disc is gray. The beak is light olive-yellow, the eyes are large blue-black. Paws are covered with white feathers with dark speckles. Claws are black.
The Tawny Owl is found in Europe from Britain and Portugal, as well as North-West Africa to Western Siberia and the Caspian Sea, Asia Minor and parts of Central Asia from Turkestan to eastern China. Inhabits mixed and broad-leaved forests along edges and clearings, as it needs open spaces for hunting. It lives near human habitation in parks and gardens, even in the parks of London and Berlin.
The tawny owl hunts mainly at night, hunting is preceded by a long tracking down of prey from an ambush, and the tawny owl resorts to the help of its excellent hearing. Having determined that the animal is moving in the grass, the bird plans on it or immediately falls down like a stone. Its wings cover the prey, which it tramples with its paws and tears with its claws and beak. Sometimes the victim is stunned with a blow powerful beak at the base of the skull.
Some researchers from Sweden report hunting from the wing while flying over the territory. The tawny owl beats its wings on the bushes at night, driving the birds out of the shelter. They also hunt bats in the same way. The tawny owl feeds on mammals - rabbits, moles, mice, shrews, other rodents, as well as frogs, birds, reptiles (lizards), mollusks and crayfish, insects (especially beetles), earthworms, and even fish.
Tawny owls are territorial, remaining in their possessions all their lives. Male and female form a permanent pair. Some males are polygamous. The male makes the first flight around the territory in October-November, determining places convenient for nesting and conducting territorial disputes with rivals. In autumn and winter, the male and female choose a place for the nest, spending a lot of time together. In December-February, the ritual of mating feeding begins, when the partner caring for the female brings her treats. During the courtship ritual, the male sits next to the female, fluffing his feathers, which makes him round, then unexpectedly shrinking. Just as suddenly, he flies off the branch where he sits next to her, rushing up and then down. The female also dissolves the plumage, and then shrinks. At this time, both make a lot of different sounds: moans, meows, grunts, gnashing and others.
In Europe, owls start breeding from mid-March. The tawny owl nests in tree hollows, old bird (crow) and even squirrel nests, in rock crevices, sometimes on bare rock, and in attics and chimneys of abandoned buildings. The female lays 2-6 eggs, but sometimes 1, the female alone incubates the clutch for 28-29 days. Eggs are white, round, 46.7x39 mm in size. As a rule, the female lays eggs at intervals of 48 hours. When the chicks hatch, the male begins to feed them, bringing food to the nest or the female waiting next to the nest, she herself feeds the chicks with pieces of prey. When the chicks are 6-7 days old, the mother leaves them alone in the nest and flies away to hunt; when not hunting, she sits close to the nest.
Young owls fledge at the age of 28-37 days. They are in the nest for about 4 weeks, at the age of 3 weeks they already know how to fly, but stay with their parents for 2-3 months. When young owls acquire hunting skills, they occupy their territory. Its size depends on the food resources of the area and can vary from 12 hectares in wooded areas to 65-75 hectares in light forests and even up to 102 hectares in Norway, where owls have less prey than in England and Belgium.
The tawny owl staunchly defends its territory from violators with sharp calls, threatening behavior and sorties. It drives cats, foxes, dogs away from the nest, the female can even attack a person if he approaches the nest in the daytime. People are known to have been blinded by owls under such circumstances. ( famous photographer birds Eric Hosking lost an eye at the very beginning of his activity, during a bird photo hunt.)
The common gray owl reaches puberty already in the first year of life. One tawny owl ringed in Central Europe lived 18 years and 7 months, in Britain the tawny owl in conditions of detention reached 27 years. Many young birds die trying to stay in their parent's territory, they die of starvation, or they are expelled by their parents. The main reason for the death of birds is a collision with transport, wires and from flying into buildings from which they cannot get out. Species cry "hu-uk-huuuh" and a shrill "kivik". The specific call of the male informs that the territory is occupied, serves as a call to the female and a message for the female that he is carrying prey home. The cry consists of a long and drawn-out huuu, a pause and several successive huhuhuhuuu, ending in a long sound. Sometimes the female responds with the same hoot to the call of the male during the mating season, although her call is not as distinct as that of the male, and is more like waw-wow-hoo. Andersen calls her cry an unfinished song, which strays more into grunts and hoarse barks. “Kivik” is usually issued by the female when she wants to establish contact with the male, but the male also has the same call. In the spring, the couple call to each other "kivik" duet. In the case when a female sitting on the nest calls “kivik”, the male answers her with a long “hu”, announcing his imminent arrival. A similar "kivik" is emitted by both parents when they head to the nest with prey for their offspring. These are not the only calls, they can be heard quite a lot during the period of courtship and during the settlement of territorial disputes.
The Tawny Owl is quite common throughout its range. It has excellent adaptive abilities.
Known subspecies that live:
Strix aluco aluco- Northern and Central Europe from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Strix aluco mauritanica- Northwest Africa from Morocco to Tunisia and Mauritania (grey race).
Strix aluco sylvatica - Western Europe including Britain.
Strix aluco siberiae - central Russia from the Urals to Western Siberia.
Strix aluco sanctinicolai- Western Iran, Northeastern Iraq.
Strix aluco wilkonskii- Palestine to Northern Iran and the Caucasus.
Strix aluco harmsi- Turkmenistan.
Strix aluco bidulphi- Northwest India and Pakistan.
Strix aluco nivicola- from Nepal to Southeast China, south to Northern Burma (Mayanmara) and Thailand.
Strix aluco yamadae- Taiwan.
Strix aluco ma- Northeast China and Korea.
Based on materials from the sites http://www.owls.org and http://www.owlpages.com.
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