256 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



OWL, TAWNY. Also WOOD OWL. 



(Syrnium aluco.} 

 Order STRIGES ; Family STRIGID.E (OWLS). 



Description of Parent Birds. 

 Length about fifteen inches. 

 Beak short, much curved, and 

 horn white. Irides dark brown. 

 The circle surrounding each eye 

 is greyish-white, margined by 

 a line of dark brown. Head, 

 neck, back, and wings tawny- 

 brown, finely marked with dark 

 brown and black, and mixed 

 with ash-grey. On the wing- 



TAWNY OWL. i , 



coverts and scapulars are two 

 descending lines of large white spots ; the primaries 

 are also barred with dark brown and dull white. Tail, 

 two centre feathers uniform tawny-brown, rest barred 

 with tawny- and dusky-brown. Breast, belly, and 

 under parts greyish- white, streaked and mottled with 

 two shades of brown. Under-coverts of tail white. 

 Legs and toes covered with greyish-white feathers ; 

 claws large, much hooked, and horn white, with 

 black tips. 



The adult female is similar in plumage, but 

 somewhat larger in size. 



Situation and Locality:- The favourite nesting 

 site is in a hole of a hollow tree, although the bird 

 sometimes uses clefts of rocks, holes in the walls 

 of stables and barns, deserted nests of Rooks, 

 Magpies, Crows, and Hawks ; also rabbit-burrows. 

 This Owl is a lover of woods, forests, and parks, 

 and is pretty generally scattered over England, 



