Nest containers for tawny owls
Every year tawny owls nest in my backyard in containers constructed particularly for them. Over time I’ve discovered what kind of field fits this owl species and the place finest to place one. Learn on for my tips about constructing a nest field for a tawny owl.
The place to web site a tawny owl field
Earlier than you set about constructing a nest field, you must take into consideration the place it’s going to go. Attracting a tawny owl right into a nest field depends upon a couple of elements: the supply of pure nest websites in your space and the accessible habitat and prey. Tawny owls reside in wooded or partially wooded areas; you even get them in massive gardens and parks in cities and cities and consequently their nest containers have to be sited in a coppice or wooden in a deciduous tree. Folks typically make the error of placing owl containers up the place they will get view of the owls. However that’s the very last thing an owl needs.
To make sure breeding success, tawny owls additionally have to really feel secure. They’re much extra prone to disturbance round their nest web site than barn owls.
Packing containers must be close to looking grounds
Not like barn owls, that are area of interest feeders and have to be near tough grasslands the place they hunt for small rodents, tawny owls feed on all kinds of prey and can take something from small rodents to rabbits so your choices in relation to selecting a web site for a field are wider. It’s all the time a good suggestion to place up a field if you realize you have already got tawny owls within the space. Pay attention out for his or her calls at evening and search for their white droppings for clues.
Away from wind and harsh solar
Their nests must be out of prevailing winds, so face yours southeast. It must be no less than three metres off the bottom with branches close by for fledgling chicks. These children discover the world outdoors their nests by hopping alongside the branches lengthy earlier than they will fly. This behaviour is called ‘branching’.
Ideally, a tawny owl field additionally must out of the total solar, though many of the 12 months this isn’t an excessive amount of of a fear since tawny chicks have typically fledged earlier than the climate will get too heat. And the field must be sheltered to keep away from being uncovered to heavy rain.
Greatest field measurement
I’ve observed that designs of business tawny owl containers, or containers advised by charities, provide too small a nesting house. These are normally simply 25cm sq. on the base, however I like to recommend a base that’s no less than 30cm x 35cm. Though tawny owls want a smaller nesting cavity than barn owls, the areas inside most containers available on the market are normally too small for the female and male to take a seat collectively in early spring for his or her courtship and later egg-laying. Usually there may be additionally not sufficient house for the adults to feed their chicks. And I’ve observed the shortage of house means they typically land too forcefully onto their eggs or chicks – generally damaging their tails within the course of. There additionally isn’t sufficient house in there for fledgling owls to flap their wings. That is vital for them when it’s time to climb out.
Keep away from tube-shaped containers
There are some tube-shaped containers available on the market. These open on the prime and are designed to be strapped underneath a leaning department. However these additionally current issues for tawny owls since they’re such early nesters the open prime means they get drenched by heavy spring showers and younger chicks can perish. Additionally, in the event that they get too moist, the bottoms of those containers don’t final and infrequently rot.
Regardless that these business containers are designed with tawny owls in thoughts, I’ve discovered that the birds don’t all the time go into their designated containers. In my backyard the owls typically select to nest in containers designed for kestrels, however right here the issue is that their chicks fledge too early as this box-design is simple for them to get out of.
Tall sides
It will be important {that a} tawny owl nest field is tall, in order that the chicks can not climb out earlier than they’re able to fledge. I make mine no less than 80cms excessive. Tawny owl chicks are notoriously adventurous and also you typically have accidents. As soon as I ended up drying two tawny owl chicks with a hairdryer after they received caught in a downpour and had been unable to fly again to security.
Greatest field design
I’ve designed my very own tawny owl containers. My containers have a base that’s no less than 30x 35cm and are about 80cm excessive. This provides the owl household room as they develop. I like to make use of outdated tree stumps for my nest containers. These provide the owls a pure gap to nest in and offers me a horny prop for my work and images.
Field fittings
I like to recommend placing two inches of wooden chippings into the underside of a tawny nest field. Tawny owls don’t acquire nesting materials. They make a nest scrape within the particles that they discover on the backside.
I additionally match cameras and microphones inside my owl containers in order that I can observe the intimate lives of those owls and likewise share these wildlife cameras on-line.
Different species, corresponding to jackdaws and gray squirrels typically colonise owl nest containers and this could be a actual drawback because it deters the owls you are attempting to draw. There is no such thing as a easy answer to this drawback; you simply need to filter the nest field of the bits of twigs that the jackdaws and squirrels put in every year. That’s till you get a resident owl, at which level the owl will chase these intruders away itself – hopefully! This may be tedious, however it’s well worth the effort for the brilliant winter’s evening while you stroll out into the backyard and listen to the comforting ocarina name of a courting tawny owl!
