296 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITIS*H ISLES. 



shade varies considerably ; the wings and tail are barred with 

 brown, the upper parts are blotched and streaked, and the 

 under parts striated with dark brown. The facial disc is buff, 

 black round the eyes, and has a whitish frame or border. The 

 bill is black, the legs feathered to the toes, the claws black, the 

 irides bright golden yellow. The female, as in the other owls, 

 is larger than the male. Length, 14 to 15 ins. Wing, 12 ins. 

 Tarsus, 2 ins. 



Tawny Owl. Strix ahico Linn. 



Outside Britain, the Tawny Owl (Plate 119), a sedentary 

 species, is found in most parts of Europe and western Asia. 

 In our islands it occurs throughout Great Britain, is unknown 

 in the outer Scottish islands, and is not native, though intro- 

 duced, in Ireland. 



The names Tawny, Brown and Wood-Owl are all descriptive ; 

 it is distinctly a woodland species. It spends the day amongst 

 trees, usually sitting bolt upright in some hollow, or on a 

 branch wMth its side pressed against the trunk, and with 

 dreamy half-closed eyes (Plate 122). The hearing of the owls 

 is keen ; it is practically impossible to surprise the bird at its 

 roost. When discovered it is only necessary to move one's 

 position to realise that the bird is really watching through the 

 half-closed lids ; without moving its feet or the position of its 

 body it turns its neck so that the facial disc is always towards 

 us. The dense mass of long soft feathers on the head and 

 neck give the Wood-Owl a top-heavy appearance, and it 

 seldom sinks the feathers so closely as to appear thin and 

 attenuated, as does the Long-eared Owl in a similar position. 

 It is a browner, more mottled bird than the Long-eared Owl, 

 and the pale bars on the wings are noticeable. The voice of 

 the Wood-Owl is the true hoot, though not the proverbial 

 ' '• tu-whit, tu-whit, tu-whoo." There is a short preliminary 



