Press Releases - March/April 2009
Item 16

No. 2009/04/19
April 2009

Help find Britain's most secretive family

Tawny, Barn and Little Owls belong to one of the most secretive of Britain’s bird families, and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) needs help in finding them for the largest ever survey of the distribution of birds in Britain and Ireland.

Because of their largely nocturnal habits and their secretive behaviour, owls are one of the most difficult of bird families to survey. The British Trust for Ornithology needs your help to find out where these birds breed and how well they are doing. Hearing a Tawny Owl hooting in the autumn is a sure sign that these birds are setting up a territory, this is when the distinctive ‘kee-wick’ calls are most often heard. Spring is the time of year that these owls start to lay eggs and it will be towards the end of May before we start seeing fluffy owls recently fledged from the nest. You can help the Bird Atlas project by recording the breeding status of Tawny Owls in your area.

Along with Tawny Owl, we’re also looking for records of Barn Owl and Little Owl. Together, these three common species of owl are under-recorded for the survey due to their nocturnal and crepuscular (twilight) behaviour. Barn Owls tend to be most active at dawn and dusk and the sight of one hunting over rough grassland during the summer months is the sort of evidence we are looking for. You may even have a pair nesting on a nearby farm and can confirm local breeding.

Little Owl is the smallest of the owls that are found in Britain and can often be seen sat on fence posts, farm machinery or on top of farm buildings during the daytime. By recording any Little Owls that you see, you will help the BTO get a clearer picture of their distribution.

The Bird Atlas project started recording for its second breeding season on 1 April and we’re looking for records of these widespread yet secretive owls. Recording the breeding evidence is a vital part of the Atlas fieldwork – you need all your detective skills to hand! Listening for birds regularly calling, looking for birds carrying food or chancing upon a recently fledged youngster are all ways you can contribute to the Atlas.

You can enter your records online at www.birdatlas.net (register and follow links to Roving Records) or by requesting a form from BTO. In addition to the common owls, all other species you see in the breeding season can be recorded, and by gathering records over a four-year period we will be able to compile comprehensive species maps and start to investigate changes in distributions since the last Breeding Atlas in 1988-91. For information on how to record breeding evidence see, http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/taking_part/bevidenceowls.htm

Notes for Editors

1 1. Bird Atlas 2007-11 is a partnership between the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) and BirdWatch Ireland.

2. To take part in Bird Atlas visit the website www.birdatlas.net and follow links to ‘Taking Part’. Allocation of fieldwork is done locally through a network of Regional Organisers.

3. Bird Atlas 2007-11 will map the distribution and relative abundance of birds in Britain and Ireland during the breeding season and winter. The latest Atlas Newsletter is available for download from:
http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/taking_part/Atlas_Newlsetter_2_low%20res.pdf

4. Previous breeding season atlases were carried out in 1968-72 and 1988-91. The only Winter Atlas was carried out in 1981-84.

5. Tawny Owls are largely a bird of woodland but can be found in parks and large gardens. First clutches laid: 23 Mar (5 Mar - 4 May), number of broods: 1

6. Barn Owls are a bird of farmland and can often be seen hunting over the rough edges of agricultural land. First clutches laid: 6 May (30 Mar - 4 Jul), number of broods: 2

7. Little Owls frequent farmland and parks interspersed with older trees. First clutches laid: 23 Apr (11 Apr - 8 May), number of broods: 1(2) (Tawny and Little Owl are both absent from Ireland.)

8. For more information on all of these owls visit www.bto.org/birdfacts

9. Fieldwork for the Bird Atlas comprises two elements: ‘Timed Tetrad Visits’ to specific tetrads (2km x 2km squares) and ‘Roving Records’, which are records from anytime during the atlas period. Fieldwork started on 1st November 2008. Two visits to tetrads are required in the breeding season, and two visits in the winter.

10. Results produced by Bird Atlas 2007-11 will form the basis of conservation priorities for coming decades. Maps from previous atlases are available from for use in publications.

11. Images are available from (high-resolution distribution maps for all three species and photographs).

12. The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews.

For further information, please contact:

Paul Stancliffe (BTO Press Officer) on 01842 750050 (9am to 5.30pm)
Email:

Dawn Balmer on 01842 750050 (9am to 5.30pm)
Email:

Bob Swann (Scottish Atlas Organiser) on 07919 378876

Email:

Brian Caffrey (Irish Atlas Project Coordinator) on 00353 5791 51676

Email:

Images are available for use alongside this News Release
Please contact quoting reference 2009-04-19

The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews
Please contact us to book an interview
Office: 01842 750050