Page 243 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

OWLS
Order Strigiformes Family Strigidae Species Aegolius funureus
Tengmalm’s Owl high brow

large head
deep chocolate brown large pale
upperparts (juvenile very bright yellow facial disc with
dark brown all over) eyes
blackish edge
white spots and
bars on closed
wings
band of
whitish spots
beside back
pale underside
ADULT
with soft brown
mottles
IN FLIGHT
catches tiny mice
and voles
ADULT

FLIGHT: quick, short flights, direct, with bursts of
quick beats between short glides. ADULT
small to medium-sized owl,Tengmalm’s Owl is a difficult bird to
Asee, preferring dense forests and being active only at night. It is best
located by looking for signs of owls (droppings and pellets) in the vicinity
of likely nest holes (such as Black Woodpecker holes), or by listening for
its calls, which are fortunately frequent and carry CURIOUS EXPRESSION
as much as 3km (2 miles) on calm nights.The The high brows give a permanently
combination of its call and the size and shape of alert or alarmed expression to a
the likely silhouette view, helps identification; Tengmalm’s Owl.
Little or Scops Owls are not found in dense
forested habitats and other species are mostly
noticeably larger.
VOICE Hoarse, unmusical chiak; song 5–8
whistles, rising and accelerating, pu-pu-po-po-
po-po-po-po.
NESTING Unlined tree cavity or old woodpecker
hole; 3–6 eggs; 1 brood; May–June.
FEEDING Watches and listens for voles from tree
perch within canopy, rarely more exposed.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Mostly breeds in NE Europe,
LITTLE OWL flatter TAWNY OWL PYGMY OWL sparsely and very locally in
different habitat; head see p.239 see p.435
see p.244 C European uplands, rare in
black smaller Pyrenees. Resident in dense forest
eye head with small clearings, not moving
stockier much from breeding places at any
much smaller
larger time of year.
Seen in the UK
JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 22–27cm (9–10 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 50–62cm (20–24in) Weight 150–200g (5–7oz)
Social Solitary Lifespan Up to 10 years Status Secure†
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