When Tawny Owls Lay Eggs - Incubation Story | Bonnie & Ozzy | Robert E Fuller

Tawny owls lay their eggs in March ready for the chicks to hatch as spring arrives. In this film I've followed this owl-species' egg-laying process through the story of a tawny owl named Bonnie, in whose nest I have installed cameras.

Watch Bonnie & Ozzy interact live on my nest cam: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx09JDaWUEFPocIUijCjOMU5rY8a_QugD and follow their story in this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx09JDaWUEFN--RcLUhbjjxWSi3HN5Ylk

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*ABOUT THIS FILM*
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Choosing a nest

Bonnie and her tawny owl mate Ozzy began looking for a nest in November. Tawny owls usually make their nests inside holes in trees and they spent much of their winter trying out different sites. Then in March I noticed Bonnie spending more and more time in a purpose-built nest box I named Ash Tree.

Before the eggs are laid

Once this tawny owl pair had chosen the site, they spent their time guarding it  from potential competitors and getting it ready. Tawny owls do this by scratching a shallow depression into the floor of the nest. This is known as 'nest scraping' and is a sign that an owl intends to nest.

 The first tawny owl egg

Just four days later , Bonnie lays her first egg. Tawny Owl eggs are pure white, 48mm long, which is about the same size as a golf ball . They weigh just under 40g 

How tawny owls lay eggs

Tawny owls normally lay a clutch of between 2/3 eggs 2/3 days apart and Bonnie remains true to form as she lays her second egg two days later and then a third 3 days later. However, unusually, on the 7th day after the first egg was laid Bonnie lays a 4th. Egg laying is tiring work for the female and uses up a lot of energy. She has laid 30% of her body weight. 

Incubating

Tawny owls start incubating as soon as they have laid the first egg . This means the chicks will hatch out at different times. This is known as asynchronous hatching and means the owlets are very different in size. Tawny owls sit on their eggs for around 30 days and they are busy  around the clock  - Bonnie will only leave the nest for around half an hour each night  to stretch her wings and defecate, which keeps the nest clean.  

 Role of male owls

Male tawny owls do not help with brooding the eggs. Ozzy's role is to provide food for his partner while she is incubating.  

What tawny owls eat

Tawny owls mainly eat small mammals like mice and voles . Ozzy is often seen hunting rats too.  

The chicks

The chicks are due to hatch next week (April) and will hatch a couple of days apart in the order that they were laid. Keep an eye on my live nest cameras to see if you can catch the moment the first one cracks out of its shell!

*ABOUT ME*
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I am a British wildlife artist and filmmaker on a mission to share my love for wildlife with the world. As well as creating detailed animal film and art portraits, I promote wildlife tours around the world and do all I can to help conserve and protect wildlife here at my home in Yorkshire. I hope that by putting nature in the frame I can foster a deep love for wildlife amongst my followers.

You may like to purchase my artwork which you can find on my website: https://www.robertefuller.com. Many of my paintings are portraits of the wonderful characters you watch here!

You can also follow me on these platforms:
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