Tawny owls hatch in the Royal Łazienki
This year, in the Royal gardens, two tawny owls hatched inside a hollow in an old alder tree. This bird species is under strict protection.
The tawny owl is the most common owl species in Poland. It is medium sized (smaller than a buzzard, but larger than a crow) and has two main morphs differing in colour: grey and brown, although specimen in intermediate colours – rust-coloured and grey-brown – also occur.
Birds under strict protection are fostered by – among other measures – preserving old trees with hollows. In the Royal Łazienki, tawny owls tend to hatch in an empty hollow inside an old alder. Although its trunk has decayed, the tree has not been removed because of owls hatching every year. Moreover, it does not pose a threat to people walking in the gardens, since no alleys run in the vicinity of the tree.
Young tawny owls which left the family hollow in mid-April have puffy plumage and they are not able to hunt by themselves yet.
