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WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT TAWNY OWLS?
Tawny owls feature in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter novels as messengers - one delivers Harry’s first invite to Hogwarts The characteristic ‘twit-twoo’ of the tawny owl is actually a courtship duet between male and female.
The night vision of owls is not much better than a human - although their hearing is around ten times more sensitive and they rely on this to hunt prey such as mice.
Despite having a reputation as being ‘wise’ they are considered less intelligent than crows and parrots.
Male and female tawny owl pairs often stay together for life.
The inedible fur and bones left-over from the tawny owl’s diet of small mammals are regurgitated as ‘owl pellets’.
Tawny owls are famous for the fierce defence of their young: bird ringers usually wear crash helmets with visors to protect themselves when ringing baby tawnies.
Like almost all owls, the wings of a tawny owl are completely silent.
Tawny owls are not found in Ireland - although their ‘twit twoo’ calls are sometimes used in Irish TV dramas and films to capture the essence of night.
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