Short Description
This medium-sized owl is rather stocky with a large round head and large black eyes. Its plumage is grey to red-brown with varying patterns of darker longitudinal and weaker transverse stripes.
Features
Tawny owl
Strix aluco
distinctive call
Gesang
Krey, CC BY-SA 3.0
In the city
In an urban environment, tawny owls can frequently be found in parks and cemeteries. They prefer deciduous or mixed forests, tree-lined roads and gardens with old trees.
As long as they remain undisturbed, they cope well with close vicinity to humans. In addition to tree holes, they also breed in cavities in walls and rocks as well as in attics.
Fun Facts
The territorial song of males is often used in films and radio plays to create tension (“hoo...hoo, hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo”).
Tawny owls actively defend their nesting holes and may even attack humans in the process. British nature photographer Eric Hosking lost an eye that way, when he was immediately next to a nesting hole.
Tawny owls live in a monogamous relationship with their mate.
Special feathers permit them to fly soundlessly.
The young are called branchlings. They have already left their nests, but continue to be cared for by their parents while sitting on the branches.
They can be seen in Germany all year round.
- Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
Sources
Habitus , Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waldkauz-Strix_aluco.jpg
Habitus , Chrumps, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strix_aluco_aluco.jpg
bei der Landung, Martin Mecnarowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strix_aluco_1_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg
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Witt, K. & Steiof, K. (2013) Rote Liste und Liste der Brutvögel von Berlin, 3. version, 15.11.2013. : Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V. (eds.) Berliner Ornithologischer Bericht, volume 23, Berlin: Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V., 1-23.
Page „Waldkauz“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 12.12.2015, 23:53 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Waldkauz&oldid=149004047 (Accessed: 10.02.2016).
NABU – Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (n.d.) Waldkauz (Strix aluco), URL: https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/voegel/vogelkunde/vogelportraets/13467.html (Accessed: 09.09.2016).
Brodowski, G. (2007-2021) Der Waldkauz, URL: http://www.brodowski-fotografie.de/beobachtungen/waldkauz.html (Accessed: 26.03.2021).