Most familiar owl
Photo: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Tawny owl
Tawny owl; Brown owl Kodukakk Strix aluco
The tawny owl is truly the most familiar owl in Estonia. It has its Estonian name, kodukakk, home owl, from the fact that it lives near the homes of humans.
It is very faithful to its nesting area. In some parks or cemeteries with ancient trees the birds have nested for thirty years.
In the morning or evening twilight we can see the birds – they blend well into nature – sitting on roadside poles or trees. Their flight is gently sloping as they check their hunting areas: forest verges, fields, hayfields or farmhouse yards. They are not easy to observe, the owl discovers the observer rather than the other way about. Daytime is slept off, often in attics or in barns. A view of a tawny owl sitting on a chimney top is not uncommon.
The tawny owl is barely the size of a crow, with dark eyes and a pale yellow beak. The tail is short and so the appearance is dominated by the bird’s large head with a short neck. The body is stocky and strong. Tawny owls have two different plumage colour types: rusty brown or ash grey; why this is so scientists don’t know exactly.
Among owls long-eared owls too live in cultural landscapes, but tawny owls are a little larger and usually with darker plumage than the long-eared owls. The winter number is around three to six thousand birds.
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