WE ARE AT CHORLEY MARKET EVERY TUESDAY (Weather Permitting)
TURKMENIAN EAGLE OWL
(Bubo bubo turcomanus)
The Turkmenian Eagle Owl is a sub-species of the slightly larger European Eagle Owl. They occur around the area of Kazakhstan in the wild. The diet consists of mainly mammals, from rodents to rabbits and hares. They will occasionally take birds and even other birds of prey.
BENGAL EAGLE OWL
(Bubo bengalensis)
The Bengal eagle-owl, also called the Rock Eagle-owl or Indian eagle-owl, is a species of large horned owl restricted to the Indian Subcontinent. They were earlier treated as a subspecies of the Eurasian eagle-owl. They are found in hilly and rocky scrub forests, and are usually seen in pairs. They have a deep resonant booming call that may be heard at dawn and dusk. They are typically large owls, and have "tufts" on their heads. They are splashed with brown and grey, and have a white throat patch with black small stripes.
LITTLE OWL
(Athene noctua)
This tiny owl inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It was introduced into Britain at the end of the nineteenth century and into the South Island of New Zealand in the early twentieth century. It is a small, camouflage coloured, mainly nocturnal species and is found in a range of habitats including farmland, woodland fringes, steppes and semi-deserts. It feeds on insects, earthworms, other invertebrates and small vertebrates. Males hold territories which they defend against intruders. This owl is a cavity nester and a clutch of about four eggs is laid in spring. The female does the incubation and the male brings food to the nest, first for the female and later for the newly hatched young. As the chicks grow, both parents hunt and bring them food, and the chicks leave the nest at about seven weeks of age.
LITTLE OWL
(Athene noctua)
This tiny owl inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It was introduced into Britain at the end of the nineteenth century and into the South Island of New Zealand in the early twentieth century. It is a small, camouflage coloured, mainly nocturnal species and is found in a range of habitats including farmland, woodland fringes, steppes and semi-deserts. It feeds on insects, earthworms, other invertebrates and small vertebrates. Males hold territories which they defend against intruders. This owl is a cavity nester and a clutch of about four eggs is laid in spring. The female does the incubation and the male brings food to the nest, first for the female and later for the newly hatched young. As the chicks grow, both parents hunt and bring them food, and the chicks leave the nest at about seven weeks of age.
BURROWING OWL
(Athene Cunicularia)
This is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated by prairie dogs. Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are often active during the day, although they tend to avoid the midday heat. Like many other kinds of owls, though, burrowing owls do most of their hunting from dusk until dawn, when they can use their night vision and hearing to their advantage. Living in open grasslands as opposed to forests, the burrowing owl has developed longer legs that enable it to sprint, as well as fly, when hunting.
HARRIS'S HAWK
(Parabuteo unicinctus)
formerly known as the bay-winged hawk or dusky hawk, is a medium-large bird of prey that breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile, central Argentina, and Brazil.
While most raptors are solitary, only coming together for breeding and migration, Harris's hawks will hunt in cooperative groups of two to six.
EUROPEAN EAGLE OWL
(Bubo Bubo)
This magnificent bird is the largest owl in the world. It is an awesome hunter, able to kill foxes and small deer with its powerful beak and fearsome talons. Its feathers are soft to allow it to glide silently and unheard when hunting. They can be found in many parts of mainland Europe, but are more common in the Scandinavian countries. They have not lived in Britain since the 18th century. The type of habitat they prefer is open forest in rocky areas, so that they have trees to rest in during the day and rocky crevices to make their nests in. These birds are at the very top of the food chain and will hunt and kill anything from a small deer to a mouse. They swoop down on their prey, grabbing it with their talons and flying off with it in their beak. Female European Eagle Owls usually nest in a rocky crevice lined with a few feathers. 2 or 3 eggs are laid and kept warm by the female. These take approximately 35 days to hatch.
TAWNY OWL
(Strix aluco)
The tawny owl or brown owl is a stocky, medium-sized owl commonly found in woodlands across much of Eurasia. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either brown or grey. Several of the eleven recognised subspecies have both variants. The nest is typically in a tree hole where it can protect its eggs and young against potential predators. This owl is non-migratory and highly territorial. Many young birds starve if they cannot find a vacant territory once parental care ceases.
This nocturnal bird of prey hunts mainly rodents, usually by dropping from a perch to seize its prey, which it swallows whole; in more urban areas its diet includes a higher proportion of birds. Vision and hearing adaptations and silent flight aid its night hunting. The tawny owl is capable of catching smaller owls, but is itself vulnerable to the eagle owl or northern goshawk.
Although many people believe this owl has exceptional night vision, its retina is no more sensitive than a human's and its asymmetrically placed ears are key to its hunting by giving it excellent directional hearing. Its nocturnal habits and eerie, easily imitated call, have led to a mythical association of the tawny owl with bad luck and death..
WHITE-FACED SCOPS OWL
(Otus Leucotis)
The White Faced Scops Owl is a small grey nocturnal owl with a striking white face surrounded by black edging and has large prominent ear-tufts. Their eyes are Orange and they have the largest ear openings of any Scops Owl. The White Faced Scops Owl is fully nocturnal and mostly insectivorous, although the owl may take small birds, rodents and other small mammals. They hunt from an open perch and drop down on their prey. The White Faced Scops Owl prefers scrub and bush territory, and often uses ground nest sites for breeding. The genus Otus can largely be divided into two types of owls, the Screech Owls of the New World, and the Scops of the Old World. Most of the Otus owls are residents throughout Africa and south of the Sahara.
GREAT GRAY OWL
(Strix Nebulosa)
The Great Gray is one of the largest Owls. When perched they appear very bulky because of their dense, fluffy plumage, long wings extending past the body, a relatively long tail, and a large head. The size of the head and the prominent facial disk make the yellow eyes appear small. When hot, a Great Gray Owl will pant and droop its wings to expose an unfeathered area under the wing. They weigh between 28oz and 51oz. Their wingspan can be anything up to 152cm. Great Gray Owls are found from Alaska across Canada, down the Northern Rocky Mountains, and northern Minnesota. They are also found in northern Europe and Asia. The Great Gray inhabits a range of forested habitats. The nesting habitat usually includes islands filled with conifers. Hunting occurs mainly during early morning and late afternoon, especially during winter, but also during daylight hours and at night. Whilst hunting a Great Gray will use a perch or it may hunt through the forest a few feet above the ground.