Best time to see: all year

Key facts

Small dumpy owl of farmland and hedgerows

Habitat: towns and gardens, heaths, woods, hedges and fields

Widely distributed resident, first introduced into the UK from continental Europe in the 1840s

Recognition

Brown and buff streaked owl; yellow and black eyes create fierce impression; 21 cm

Sits openly on fence posts and the like, flying away with bouncing flight

Eats insects, small birds and mammals

Lifecycle

Nest is a hole in tree or building

1 or possibly 2 broods; 3-5 white eggs