Nest packing containers for tawny owls
Annually tawny owls nest in my backyard in packing containers constructed particularly for them. Through the years I’ve realized what kind of field fits this owl species and the place greatest to place one. Learn on for my tips about constructing a nest field for a tawny owl.
The place to website a tawny owl field
Earlier than you set about constructing a nest field, you must take into consideration the place it will go. Attracting a tawny owl right into a nest field will depend on a couple of elements: the supply of pure nest websites in your space and the out there 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 packing containers must be sited in a coppice or wooden in a deciduous tree. Folks typically make the error of placing owl packing containers up the place they’ll get a very good 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 vulnerable to disturbance round their nest website than barn owls.
Packing containers ought to be close to looking grounds
In contrast to barn owls, that are area of interest feeders and must 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 relating to selecting a website for a field are wider. It’s all the time a good suggestion to place up a field if you recognize you have already got tawny owls within the space. Hear out for his or her calls at evening and search for their white droppings for clues.
Away from wind and harsh solar
Their nests ought to be out of prevailing winds, so face yours southeast. It must be at the very least three metres off the bottom with branches close by for fledgling chicks. These kids discover the world exterior their nests by hopping alongside the branches lengthy earlier than they’ll fly. This behaviour is called ‘branching’.
Ideally, a tawny owl field additionally must out of the total solar, though a lot 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.
Finest field dimension
I’ve observed that designs of economic tawny owl packing containers, or packing containers recommended by charities, supply too small a nesting area. These are normally simply 25cm sq. on the base, however I like to recommend a base that’s at the very least 30cm x 35cm. Though tawny owls choose a smaller nesting cavity than barn owls, the areas inside most packing containers in the marketplace 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. Typically there may be additionally not sufficient area for the adults to feed their chicks. And I’ve observed the dearth of area means they typically land too forcefully onto their eggs or chicks – typically damaging their tails within the course of. There additionally isn’t sufficient area in there for fledgling owls to flap their wings. That is necessary for them when it’s time to climb out.
Keep away from tube-shaped packing containers
There are some tube-shaped packing containers in the marketplace. These open on the high and are designed to be strapped beneath a leaning department. However these additionally current issues for tawny owls since they’re such early nesters the open high 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 packing containers don’t final and sometimes rot.
Although these industrial packing containers are designed with tawny owls in thoughts, I’ve discovered that the birds don’t all the time go into their designated packing containers. In my backyard the owls typically select to nest in packing 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 is crucial {that a} tawny owl nest field is tall, in order that the chicks can’t climb out earlier than they’re able to fledge. I make mine at the very least 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 acquired caught in a downpour and have been unable to fly again to security.
Finest field design
I’ve designed my very own tawny owl packing containers. My packing containers have a base that’s at the very least 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 packing containers. These supply the owls a pure gap to nest in and offers me a beautiful 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 gather 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 packing containers in order that I can observe the intimate lives of those owls and in addition share these wildlife cameras on-line.
Different species, reminiscent of jackdaws and gray squirrels typically colonise owl nest packing containers and this could be a actual downside because it deters the owls you are attempting to draw. There is no such thing as a easy resolution to this downside; you simply should 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 definitely worth the effort for the brilliant winter’s evening whenever you stroll out into the backyard and listen to the comforting ocarina name of a courting tawny owl!
