The tawny owl is a member of the genus Strix, that is also the origin of the family’s name under Linnaean taxonomy. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either rufous, brown or grey. Several of the eight recognised subspecies have each of the main colour variations.
About Tawny owl in brief
The tawny owl is a member of the genus Strix, that is also the origin of the family’s name under Linnaean taxonomy. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either rufous, brown or grey. Several of the eight recognised subspecies have each of the main colour variations. This nocturnal bird of prey hunts a wide variety of prey species, but usually primarily takes small mammals such as rodents. Tawny owls usually hunt by dropping from a perch to seize their prey, which they typically swallow whole. In more urban areas, its diet includes a higher proportion of birds, while in arid subtropics many invertebrates such as insects are taken. Vision and well-developed hearing adaptations combined with silent flight aid its night hunting. This species typically nests in a tree hollow, wherein they are likely to gain protection of their eggs and young against potential predators. Many young birds starve if they cannot find a vacant territory once parental care ceases. Of 91 males and 214 females in Great Britain, 17-19% did not moult any primaries, while 1-6% replaced all primaries, about 6% of males and 2% of females annually replaced median-primaries. Young individuals sometimes sometimes mistaken by the state of their wing moult for age of 3 year old due to the fact that they retain some juvenile feathers. The nominate race in particular has two main morphs which differ in their plumage. The predominant morphs are grey and grey, with a more minor grey and brown morphs sometimes occurring in various intergrade races.
There is some indication that each morph may intergrade in various colours. The colour is genetically controlled and sometimes intergrade is sometimes indicated by some intergrade colouring, sometimes in various intermediate or brown races. The eyes are blackish-brown rimmed narrowly by the pale fleshy edges of the blue-grey eyelids. The tail is rather short and the wings are broad. The tarsi and toes are densely feathered. The talons are rather powerful and quite decurved. In flight they can appear fairly big and broad, large headed and rounded on the wings. The t Shawny owl often flies with long glides on rounded wings, less undulating and with fewer wingbeats than other Eurasian owls, and typically at a greater height. As with most owl, its flight is silent because of its feathers’ soft, furry upper surfaces and a fringe on the leading edge of the outer primaries. The underparts of allmorphs are whitish in base colour. The underside feathers are barred in a dusky colour with several crossbars, producing a herringbone pattern. Their typical rich brownish colour often camouflages it well against a variety of woodland types. In flight, they can seem fairly big, broad and rounded. They can appear to be a heavy flier but are capable of surprising maneuverability within woods, flying with utter silence.
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This page is based on the article Tawny owl published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 02, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
