Tawny Owl: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Owl Week · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. Tawny owls hear ten times better than humans. In a dark wood on a cloudy night, they can hunt by sound alone.
2. Its ears are placed unevenly: the left one sits higher and tilts downward, which helps it pick up sounds from below.
3. The female usually lays two or three eggs and incubates them for about 30 days.
4. Chicks leave the nest 35-39 days after hatching, and their parents go on caring for them for two to three months.
5. Northern tawny owls grow bigger: Siberian and Scandinavian ones are 12 % larger and 40 % heavier than western European ones.

The quiz

1. How much better than humans do tawny owls hear?

• Ten times better (correct)
• Twice as well
• Exactly the same
• A hundred times better

Their hearing is ten times better than a human's.

2. Which ear sits higher?

• The right ear
• The left ear (correct)
• Both at the same height
• Neither, they are on the beak

The left ear sits higher and tilts downward.

3. How long does the female incubate the eggs?

• About 3 days
• About 3 months
• About one year
• About 30 days (correct)

The female incubates the eggs for about 30 days.

4. How long do chicks stay in the nest after hatching?

• 35-39 days (correct)
• 3-4 days
• 350-390 days
• Only a few hours

Chicks stay in the nest for another 35-39 days before fledging.

5. How much heavier are Siberian and Scandinavian tawny owls?

• 4 % heavier
• 12 % lighter
• 40 % heavier (correct)
• They weigh the same

They are 40 % heavier than western European tawny owls.

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