Bird · Woodland expedition
Tawny Owl
Strix aluco
Rare
The storybook twit twoo is not one owl but two. The female calls ke-wick, the male answers with the long wavering hoot, and the famous phrase is a duet across the dark.
Its ears are set asymmetrically on the skull, one higher than the other, letting the bird triangulate a rustle in complete darkness. Its flight is silenced by a soft fringe on the leading edge of each wing feather.
Tawny owls hold the same patch of woodland for life and know it so intimately they can hunt it on memory alone. Heard constantly, seen almost never: a fitting rarity for the collection.
