How to welcome the Tawny Owl in Manchester, England, United Kingdom

About the Tawny Owl

The tawny owl, also called the brown owl, is a stocky, medium-sized owl in the family Strigidae. It is commonly found in woodlands across Europe, as well as western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies. The tawny owl's underparts are pale with dark streaks, whilst its upper body may be either brown or grey. The tawny owl typically makes its nest in a tree hole where it can protect its eggs and young against potential predators. It is non-migratory and highly territorial: as a result, when young birds grow up and leave the parental nest, if they cannot find a vacant territory to claim as their own, they will often starve.

Source: Wikipedia

Ecological traits of the Tawny Owl

• Nesting : owl — owl box.
• Species that does not visit feeders (specialised diet).

Matching nest box plan

For the Tawny Owl, the reference plan from nichoirs.net is:

Recommended internal dimensions: 250 × 600 × 250 mm (width × height × depth).

Entrance hole diameter: 120 mm.

See the full plan on nichoirs.net

Installing and maintaining the nest box — Tawny Owl

Installation

• Height : Not documented in the selected sources.
• Orientation : East or South-East (Strix aluco, Corvus monedula, Dryocopus martius). South or South-East (Tyto alba, Falco tinnunculus, Falco naumanni).
• Support : Tree (Strix aluco, Dryocopus martius). Pole or exterior wall (Corvus monedula). Pole, against a wall, building, barn, bell tower (Tyto alba, Falco tinnunculus, Falco naumanni).
• When to install : Autumn recommended. March or April possible. Early May to avoid occupation by earlier species.
• Precautions : Not documented in the selected sources.

Annual cleaning

• Frequency : Once a year after each breeding season.
• Method : Remove old nest materials. Brush or clean with boiling water to kill parasites. Let dry. Burn the inner wall if possible (with a blowtorch).
• Products to avoid : Do not use insecticides, flea treatments, soap or detergent. Use boiling water.
• When to install : After the breeding season, from September. Before February for winter occupants.
• Precautions : Put a small handful of clean hay or wood shavings (not straw) after cleaning and drying. Gloves must be worn during cleaning. It is normal that some eggs do not hatch or that young die.

Sources: LPO, Natagora, Vogelbescherming, RSPB, NABU, nichoirs.net.

Three ways to help

• Install a nest box — Free species-tailored construction plans and video tutorials.
• Install a feeder — Choose the feeder and seeds based on the bird's feeding habits.
• Grow a natural pantry — Native local plants that sustainably feed this bird and biodiversity.

Other birds observed in Manchester

• Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
• Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
• Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
• Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
• Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
• Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus)

Sources and credits

• Observation data: eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, ebird.org)
• Source: Wikipedia
• Plans and dimensions: nichoirs.net