The Tawny Owl is found throughout Britain (with the exception of Ireland), most of Europe & Russia (though not the more northerly regions) through to Asia & China & some of the north of Africa. The earliest records of Tawny Owls in Britain date back to the Ice Ages. There are 12 sub-species of the Tawny Owl, those inhabitat the more northerly regions are anywhere up to 12% larger & 40% heavier than the sub-species native to the UK (Strix aluco sylvatica).
The Tawny Owl is the UK's largest breeding owl. The current UK population estimated at between 15,000 - 40,000 pairs, though some estimates but the population at 350,000 during winter. One aid to avoiding persecution, is the fact that it is largely nocturnal, making hunting difficult. It is very adaptable to changing circumstances & habitats, though the prevalence of Dutch Elm Disease reducing its nesting sites did take some toll. The use of pesticides had remarkably little affect on the population.
The Tawny Owl is nocturnal, roosting during the daytime in trees. It mainly preys on small rodents & roosting birds. Small invertebrates, including worms, will get eaten too. It is believed that they will also take fish out of garden ponds, when there is a scarcity of other food. Although normally silent in flight, Tawny Owls have been observed flying low over hedgerows beating their wings to disturb & flush out their prey, particularly roosting songbirds.
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