During the Autumn months of October and November there is one species of owl that stands out from the rest and this is the Tawny owl with their loud territorial hoots! The uproar from the Tawny’s during this season is all down to one thing and this is all centred around Territory! Tawny’s alone will be so vocal during Autumn that they are louder than the rest of the owl species combined! The Tawny owl hoots are easily recognised and very well-known for those in the UK that know even just a little about bird/owl calls.
These extremely loud months while the owls protect their territories tells us one interesting fact about Tawny’s and that is that they breed early in the year. These hoots show that young owls are beginning to venture into the world on their own to find a new territory and that older owls are doing their best to hold fort and keep their territories for themselves ready for breeding season.
So what exactly happens in autumn for these owls? Basically these Tawny’s want breeding to be well on its way by winter so they spend autumn fighting for a territory of their own and this is done by being loud and letting themselves be heard. Tawny’s in general don’t move far at all from where they were hatched and therefore there will a fair few owls fighting for the same territories. They may even find themselves fighting with their own offspring or their fellow siblings for the same spots. The loudest, most dominating owl will win the battle.
The noises that Tawny owls make are rather varied and can be anything from a call to a screech to a soft coo. Often they will begin with a long noise that is followed by a pause before the sound becomes softer, then stronger. The females will often respond too to make contact with males who have an established territory ready for mating. Male and females will duet but the females do not make half as much noise as males. Apparently males and females have different hoots that fall at different rhythms so the hoots easily fit together like a flowing conversation. Males and females can both create each others hoots but tend to stick to their gendered hoot.
Tawny owls in general are very good parents to their young and will nurture their owlets through the summer with pure devotion but in autumn this changes rather rapidly and the once loving, caring parents can turn nasty fast! The parents want their owlets to leave the territory so they can prepare for their next generation of young. Tawny’s will sadly shriek at their young, fly directly at them and chase them away from the nest so they are forced to leave. These poor owlets will then leave to fight for territory after territory until they win their own.
Therefore, as you can see, there is a lot of noise happening in autumn with the Tawny’s for a multitude of reasons:
- Parents are chasing their owlets from the nest
- Young owls are fleeing and fighting for their own territories
- Owls will be defending their territories from the newcomers
- Males and females are contacting each other for breeding season
You can probably see how this abundance of noise can become quite a confusing atmosphere for these Tawny’s. Especially when a male is hooting for a female companion and instead his calls are met by another male coming to force him from his territory! Even though these owl vocalisations are communicating to all fellow owls for various different reasons, they do have slight variations. Tawny’s can be so individual with their calls, their fellow neighbouring owls will recognise their calls and react more strongly to other owls rather than their neighbours. Likewise, their calls can tell other owls a lot about the owl itself, the pitch of the hoot will inform them about the size of the owl for example. Also males with a large number of blood parasites will have a weaker call and therefore those males with the longer calls are more successful gaining a mate!
I hope this has been informative and told you some new facts about the Tawny owls struggle for territory! Tawny’s are a welcome highlight to the autumn months and for many they make the season come alive. Next autumn, if you are in an area that may be frequented by Tawny’s, appreciate all these hoots and calls with a new understanding of the possible scenario and story behind each sound!