The tawny owl (Strix aluco) is a bird of the family Strigidae, in the order Strigiformes.
Quick answer
The tawny owl (Strix aluco) is a stocky, round-headed woodland owl of Europe and western Asia, and the owl most often heard calling at night in Britain. The famous 'twit-twoo' is really two birds: the female's sharp 'ke-wick' answered by the male's hooting 'hoo-hooo'. It hunts mice, voles and birds in the dark. It is listed as Least Concern with a stable population.
Top questions about the Tawny Owl
Tawny Owl facts at a glance
- Weight 470 g
- Length 40 cm
- Lifespan 4 years
| Scientific name | Strix aluco |
|---|---|
| Diet | Small mammals, birds, frogs, earthworms and beetles |
| Habitat | Deciduous and mixed woodland, parks and large gardens |
| Weight | Average about 470 g |
| Lifespan | Typically 4 years; oldest ringed bird 23 years 5 months |
| Range | Western Eurasia and north-west Africa |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2024) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Strigiformes |
| Family | Strigidae |
| Genus | Strix |
Where it lives
The tawny owl (Strix aluco) is native to Woodland across Europe (not Ireland), north-west Africa and western Asia to western Siberia and Iran. — recorded across Europe, Asia, Africa in this guide’s range summary.
For occurrence records, see GBIF species search and sources below.
How big is a tawny owl?
An adult tawny owl measures 40 cm long — about 23% of the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 470 g, about 1% of an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).
Length vs an average adult’s height (to scale)
What is a group of tawny owls called?
Group name (collective noun)
A group of Tawny Owls is called a parliament.
Baby name
A baby Tawny Owl is called an owlet.
Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .
Twit-twoo explained
The classic 'twit-twoo' is a duet. The female gives a sharp 'ke-wick' contact call and the male answers with a long, wavering 'hoo... hoo-hoo-hoooo'. Calls are most frequent in autumn, when young birds look for territories, and in late winter before breeding.
Identification
Tawny owls are medium-sized and chunky, with a big round head, no ear tufts and large, dark eyes. Plumage varies from rufous-brown to grey-brown, streaked and mottled for camouflage against tree bark. They are strictly nocturnal and roost by day in tree holes or dense ivy.
Staying put
Pairs hold the same territory for life and rarely move far. Young birds must find a vacant territory in their first autumn, and many starve if they fail. BTO ringing data give a typical life expectancy of 4 years, but the oldest ringed bird lived 23 years and 5 months.
Status
BirdLife International lists the tawny owl as Least Concern (2024), with 1.58 to 2.34 million mature birds and a stable trend. In Britain, monitoring suggests it has declined in recent decades, and it is absent from Ireland.
Explore the Tawny Owl
Close relatives
- Eurasian Eagle-Owl Same family
- Burrowing Owl Same family
- Snowy Owl Same family
- Great Horned Owl Same family
Did you know? Tawny Owl facts
- Tawny owls do not live in Ireland.
- A tawny owl pair may keep the same territory for life.
Conservation status of the Tawny Owl
The tawny owl (Strix aluco) is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Least Concern (LC) is the IUCN's lowest-risk category, assigned to widespread, abundant species that have been evaluated and found not to be threatened. It does not mean a species faces no pressures — only that it is not currently at risk of extinction.
Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) was most recently assessed for the IUCN Red List in 2024. Look up on the IUCN Red List .
Frequently asked questions about the Tawny Owl
Do tawny owls really say 'twit-twoo'?
Not a single bird. The female calls 'ke-wick' and the male replies 'hoo-hooo', and together the two calls sound like 'twit-twoo'.
Are there tawny owls in Ireland?
No. The tawny owl does not occur in Ireland; the long-eared owl is the commonest owl there.
What do tawny owls eat?
Mainly wood mice, voles and shrews, plus small birds, frogs, earthworms and beetles.
How long do tawny owls live?
Typically about 4 years once they reach breeding age, but the oldest ringed tawny owl lived 23 years and 5 months.
What is a group of tawny owls called?
A group of Tawny Owls is called a parliament.
What is a baby tawny owl called?
A baby Tawny Owl is called an owlet.
Sources & references
This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Tawny Owl:
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IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Strix aluco, most recently assessed in 2024.
-
iNaturalist — observations & photos
Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Strix aluco. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.
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GBIF — occurrence data
Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Strix aluco. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.
-
eBird — bird observations
Cornell Lab eBird target search for Tawny Owl. Check recent checklists and seasonal abundance where birders report this species.
- BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Tawny Owl Strix aluco. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.
IUCN Red List category Least Concern (assessed 2024), population estimate and trend.
- Animal Diversity Web: Strix aluco. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
Size, lifespan and diet.
- BTO BirdFacts: Tawny Owl. British Trust for Ornithology.
Typical lifespan, oldest ringed bird and UK body weight.
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
Average body mass.
- Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.
English and scientific name, classification and range.
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