Baby season has well and truly started!
Tawny Owls are one of species we receive the most calls about on our helpline, especially young Owlets. This is because the chicks can be quite adventurous and like to leave the nest before their flight feathers have fully formed. This “branching” behaviour is essential to the growth and development of their muscles, as they learn how to balance and gives them space to stretch their wings, hopping from branch to branch in their favoured woodland habitat.
Unfortunately, humans are to blame for the majority of our Rescue cases, either directly or indirectly. In the case of our recent intake of Tawny Owlets, a lack of suitable nesting locations led to poor parenting choices which resulted in us having to step in.
The first chick was found at the base of a tree. While ordinarily Tawny Owlets that find themselves on the ground are able to climb back to their nest, this little one was too young and weak. It may have fallen out by itself or being pulled from the nest by a predator and dropped, but either way, it needed some help so we took it in.
Tawny Owls look like fluffy marshmallows!
The second chick arrived a few days later and was considerably larger, possibly a week or so older than the first. This Owlet was brought in by a couple who found it in their chimney. Tawny Owls usually nest in holes in trees, so an open chimney may look like a suitable place to raise a family. Although the couple had seen the adult Owls in the trees at the edge of their garden, there’s no way this Owlet could have flown that distance at this age. The couple were advised to keep an eye out for any other chicks which might fall from the chimney and to cover it up as soon as they’re sure that the adults have stopped visiting.
This larger Owlet not looking too impressed with the new living arrangements
NOT a suitable tree for a Tawny nest!
The third chick was found at the base of a tree in a garden. Jess was out checking a site for nest boxes in the area, so popped around to assess the situation. Upon arrival, it was clear that this little one would need to come back with her. The nest was in the top of a large, straight, branchless Poplar tree, in the middle of a garden with no other trees! The nearest trees was a small copse about 200m away, across a busy road!
Weighing the chick is important so we can monitor their growth
Ordinarily, we would advise that if you find a young Tawny Owlet on the ground, carefully pick it up and put it on a higher branch so that it can get back to the nest. But in all three of these cases, this wasn’t deemed appropriate so we now have an Owl creche in our Raptor Hospital.
As these are three Tawny Owlets, it was suggested by several people that they should be named Sarah, Percy and Bill, from our favourite story Owl Babies. Whilst we can’t sex them at this age, Sarah is the second chick, as this one is the biggest, Percy is the first chick and Bill is the third chick, as this is the smallest.
Sarah (l), Bill (m) and Percy (r), in their Owl Babies creche
We hope that we won’t have too many more Baby Owls to look after this year, but our doors are always open to help if needed.
If you’d like to help Tawny Owls by putting up a nest box for them, you can find more information, including how to build your own and where to put them here.