Tawny owl territorial calling

Tawny owl (Strix aluco). Great Britain (absent from Ireland), United Kingdom.

Best time: 10 Oct – 30 Nov and 15 Jan – 28 Feb (January to February, October to November). Where: Savernake Forest, Wiltshire, Epping Forest, Essex/London, Kielder Forest, Northumberland (United Kingdom). Time of day: Calling starts at dusk and is most intense in the first 3 h of darkness, with another flurry in the hour before dawn.

• You can go on your own
• Free
• No binoculars needed
• Sound 4/5

Open it in the interactive calendarSunrise and sunset listening times for the day you pick, and the map.

When is the best time?

• Peak 1: 10 Oct – 30 Nov — October–November: young birds contest territories, duets and disputes
• Peak 2: 15 Jan – 28 Feb — Late January to February: pre-breeding calling peak

Active from 1 Oct to 28 Feb (October to February) in a typical year.

Time of day

Calling starts at dusk and is most intense in the first 3 h of darkness, with another flurry in the hour before dawn; cold, still nights after the first frosts.

• Evening calling: 15 min after sunset → 3 h after last light
• Pre-dawn calling: 1 h before first light → first light

What will you hear?

Hoots and 'ke-wick' duets and disputes as young birds try to settle territories; sometimes three or four birds answering.

Binoculars?

No binoculars needed. Night listening in leafless woods; red torch for the path only.

Where to go

• Savernake Forest, Wiltshire — Ancient oak forest with a high density; A4 on the northern edge. Map
• Epping Forest, Essex/London — Urban-edge population; M25 and London hum but very reliable. Map
• Kielder Forest, Northumberland — Remote, dark-sky, quiet. Map

How to go on your own, and what it costs

Savernake: free, open access, park at the Grand Avenue entrance off the A4 and walk in. Epping Forest: free, open 24 h, park at High Beach or take the Central line to Loughton. Kielder: free forest roads and tracks; park at Kielder Castle. Any mature wood or churchyard works — no permits.

Cost: Free.

Field-recording notes

Leafless woods in winter carry sound well; cold, still nights after the first frosts are the classic. Almost any mature woodland, park or churchyard will do — these are examples. Owls respond to imitations, but playback is unnecessary at peak and best avoided.

Sources

• BTO – Tawny owl

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More: all spectacles in the United Kingdom · owls · wildlife at night · the United Kingdom in January · the United Kingdom in February · the United Kingdom in October · the United Kingdom in November