![]() ![]() In the latter type of hunts, the tawny owls may strike branches and/or beat their wings together in front of denser foliage, bushes or conifers in order to disturb and flush prey such as small birds and bats, or may dive directly into said foliage. In a more deliberate variation of hunting from flight, the hunting owl may examine crags and nest boxes or also hover around prey roosts. In a similar study in England, less than 1% of time was spent hunting from flight. Hunting from flight was surprisingly prevalent in a Swedish study of two radio-tagged birds, with 34% of study time spent hunting from flight while 40% of the study time was spent on hunting from a perch. During these flights they cover about 30 to 50 m (98 to 164 ft) before changing direction. This occurs from 2 to 3 m (6.6 to 9.8 ft) over the ground, often over open habitats such as bushes, marsh or grassland, forming a quartering or zigzag pattern over the opening. Alternatively, this species may hunt from flight. The hunting owl often extends its wings to balance and control prey upon impact. The claws are considered to be visibly more overdeveloped than those of other European mid-sized owls and the footspan including the claws is fairly larger as well, at an average of about 13.4 cm (5.3 in). While not as large as those of the Ural owl, the talons are extremely sharp, stout and quite decurved. Their middle talon, the most enlarged claw on owls, measures an average of 19.1 mm (0.75 in). The tawny owl is capable of lifting and carrying off in flight individual prey weighing up to at least 320 g (11 oz). ![]() However, high initial speed and maneuvering among trees and bushes with great dexterity may allow it to surprise relatively large prey, more like a goshawk. Tawny owl's hunting from a perch or pole can recall a buzzard and the two take similar prey sizes as well. Perching bouts usually last from about 8 to 14 minutes depending largely on habitat. Based on hand-reared young owls that re-released into the wild, hunting behaviour is quite innate rather than learned. ![]() When feeding young, hunting may need to be prolonged into daylight in the early morning. Peak hunting activity tends to occur largely between dusk to midnight, with owls often following an erratic hunting pattern, perhaps to sites where previous hunts were successful. The tawny owl ( Strix aluco) is an opportunistic and generalized predator. The fairly powerful talons of a tawny owl. ![]()
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