The Long-eared Owl could possibly win the most attractive bird award. Stunningly beautiful, but the eponymous long ears (actually feather tufts – the actual ears are hidden on the side of the head under the facial disc feathers) are not visible when the bird is flying or isn’t feeling relaxed. When seen perched, the finely speckled feathers are distinctive, along with orangey-rufous patches. The eyes are a striking orange, but the eyes are closed at roost if the bird feels threatened.

Key Facts 
Common name: Long-eared Owl
Scientific name: Asio otus
Habitat: Conifer plantations, shelter belts, deciduous woodland or even scrub
Diet: Small rodents and small mammals
Size: Average 36cm, wingspan 95cm. Weight averages 290g
Status: Resident breeder. Passage/winter visitor
Population size: 1800 pairs 
Conservation status: GREEN (least concern)

Appearance
If seen in flight, at dusk, the likelihood of confusion with Short-eared Owl is surprisingly high, and the wing markings are very similar. The best features to use are the lack of trailing white edge to the upper wings, and the presence of a dark ‘C-shaped’ ‘elbow’ mark below the wing, with blunt, diffusely marked wingtips. Their ‘ears’ (tufty feathers) are a good way to tell them apart from other species, however they are not seen during flight or if they feel threatened. They have speckled feathers and orange patches to match their orange eyes. Due to its elusiveness, one of the best ways of discovering Long-eared Owls is to hear the strange calls of begging youngsters during summer – sounding remarkably like squeaky gates!

Lifespan
The average age in the wild is 4 years. Adults have a 69% year-to-year survival. First year survival is just 48%. The oldest known wild bird was almost 13 years old (ringing recovery).

Nesting
Long-eared Owls are scarce and very elusive breeding birds. They favour conifers to nest in and use stick nests, often old corvid or raptor nests. Surprisingly they will readily take to nest baskets and will even nest in wicker dog baskets!

Number of eggs: 3-4
Incubation: 28 days
Fledging time: 29-34 days

Habitat and Distribution
Being such elusive and nocturnal creatures Long-eared Owls are very difficult to monitor and survey, and it is likely that there are more present than recorded. Breeding season distribution shows a northerly and easterly focus, although birds are recorded breeding over the whole country, including off-shore islands and right over Ireland, where it is much more frequent. Nesting invariably occurs in conifers, so areas of conifer plantations such as Thetford Forest in East Anglia are hotspots for the species. Despite this, in some areas Long-eared Owls will nest in shelter belts, deciduous woodland or even scrub. In winter many Long-eared Owls from continental Europe visit us, and these birds can sometimes be very approachable. Every year there are records of newly arrived birds roosting out in the open on garden fences, or other equally obvious locations. Long-eared Owls in winter tend to roost communally, often in hedges or patches of scrub.
Long-eared Owls are found right across Europe and into Asia, with northern populations ‘leap-frogging resident southerly populations, and wintering in North Africa, India and China. It is also a widespread bird in North America.

Movements
Long-eared Owl is one of the few owls that undertake long distance journeys. Most of our resident birds are sedentary, especially towards the west of the UK. In the east varying numbers of birds from continental Europe, from as far afield as Finland, visit for winter, crossing the North Sea with apparent ease – although they are often encountered resting on oil rigs and ships.

Feeding
Small rodents are the main prey of Long-eared Owls although they will take other small mammals and even small birds. Its food brings it into competition with the Tawny Owl, a bigger and more dominant species. In Ireland, where there is no Tawny Owls, it is the dominant species and can be found in many different habitats, including urban ones. Despite being a bird of woodland, much of its prey is found in open grassland and other open habitats, and Long-eared Owls habitually hunt outside of the wooded habitats they breed in.

Our smallest falcon, the tiny Merlin, makes up for its lack of size with sheer determination and lack of fear. Perhaps best known as a lady’s falcon in Medieval times, Merlin are specialist in catching birds and were popular for catching larks. It is definitely a bird that lives up to the ‘dashing’ falcon label!

Key Facts 
Common name: Merlin
Scientific name: Falco columbarius
Habitat: Open upland and moorland habitats, open coniferous woodland, coastal areas, farmland and lowland heath
Diet: Small birds such as Meadow Pipit and Skylark but will take larger prey such as Starling and wading birds
Size: Average 28cm, wingspan 56cm. Females (230g) larger than males (180g)
Status: Resident breeder. Passage/winter visitor
Population size: 1,150 pairs 
Conservation status: RED (Due to historical population and range decline).

Appearance
The Merlin is the smallest bird of prey found in the UK. It is one of the four falcons in the UK along with Peregrine, Hobby, and Kestrel. It has a much shorter, squarer tail and broader shorter wings than the other falcons but still has that typical pointed wing shape synonymous with falcons. Males are slate grey above, similar in colour to Peregrine, but lacking the paler rump area of that species, and with a broad, black tail band. Their wing tips are darker with white spots. Underneath they are fairly pale, with heavy streaking on the chest and belly, strongly barred wings and dark-tipped tail. Females and young birds are browner, with a mixture of dark and light brown patterning. The wings are broad-based and short but very pointed, and the tail is proportionally long.

Lifespan
The average age in the wild is 3 years. Adults have a 62% year-to-year survival rate. First year survival is 23%. The oldest known wild bird was almost 13 years old (ringing recovery).
Nesting
British birds most commonly nest in simple scrapes on the ground in amongst dense heather, or on rock outcrops, but tree nesting in old corvid or raptor nests is well-recorded and some birds will even nest on buildings within its wider world range. As with many birds of prey the female does most if not all the incubating.

Number of eggs: 4-5
Incubation: 30 days
Fledging time: 28-31 days

Habitat and Distribution
During the breeding season, Merlin is a species of open upland and moorland habitats, although it will breed in open coniferous woodland as well. During the winter it is found over a much wider range of habitats including coastal areas, farmland and lowland heath. Breeding season distribution is northern and western Britain (although it is scarce away from coastal areas in Ireland) including offshore islands. Merlin can turn up pretty much anywhere in winter, although it is never a common bird.
Merlin are found all around the northern hemisphere breeding across norther North America, Europe and northern Asia, across to Japan and northeastern Russia. Many populations are migratory, and birds winter in North and Central America, and even into South America, most of mainland Europe and North Africa, Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and China. There are a number of different sub-species across its range including two in Europe. The British breeding birds share characteristics of both sub-species.

Movements
Many of our breeding birds move into the lowlands once the breeding season is over, usually within 100 km of their natal areas, although a few will cross into western and southern Europe, with some individuals reaching southern France or Spain. Britain is an important wintering area for Icelandic breeding Merlin and many of the individuals encountered in winter will be from this population.

Feeding
Merlin specialise in hunting birds, usually in flight. Unlike Kestrels, which invariably hover looking for mammals or invertebrate prey, Merlins chase their prey in agile, high-speed pursuits. Small passerines such as Meadow Pipit and Skylark are favourite targets, although they will tackle larger prey such as Starling and wading birds are readily tackled. Merlin fly low and fast, aiming to flush their prey into the air, and have been recorded hunting cooperatively, with one bird flushing prey towards their mate. Merlins have been recorded hunting using a distinctive clipped flight style, possibly appearing to other birds less like a falcon and more like the similarly sized Mistle Thrush, allowing closer approach before their true identity is discovered.

Our most familiar and common falcon, the Kestrel can be seen hovering over roadside verges. It is the only commonly occurring falcon in Britain that habitually hovers, although Lesser Kestrel and Red-footed Falcon in Europe also use this hunting technique. Buzzard and Rough-legged Buzzard also habitually hover.

Key facts
Common name: Kestrel
Scientific name: Falco tinnunculus
Habitat: Open country, urban areas, farmland, large gardens, open heathland, moorland and upland areas
Diet: Small mammals such as voles and young rats 
Size: Average 34 cm, wingspan 76cm. Females (220g) larger than males (190g)
Status: Resident breeder. Passage/winter visitor
Population size: 31,000 pairs
Conservation status: AMBER (Due to recent breeding population decline)

Appearance

Kestrels are a small falcon which can be identified by their pointed wings and long tail, which is fanned out when hovering. Their tails have a distinctive black band across it. They are brown in colour with pale undersides with black speckles. The females are browner in colour with barring, while the males have a grey head and tail with just a single band across it. Both the male and female have distinctive dark markings below their eyes.

Lifespan
The average age in the wild is 4 years. Adults have a 69% year-to-year survival. First year survival is 32%. The oldest known wild bird was almost 16 years old (ringing recovery).
Nesting
Unusual among British birds of prey, Kestrel is a cavity nester, preferring holes in cliffs, trees or buildings. They can be found nesting inside industrial structures and readily take to nest boxes. Kestrels are remarkably tolerant of other near-by Kestrels and may nest semi-colonially in areas of high numbers. Only the female incubates the eggs, but both birds brood and provision the young.

Number of eggs: 4-5
Incubation: 28-29 days
Fledging time: 32-37 days

Habitat and Distribution
Kestrels are familiar and widespread, only absent from areas in the most extreme north and west of the country. Although birds of fairly open country, they adapt well to a range of habitats and can be found in urban areas, farmland and even large gardens as well as open heathland, moorland and upland areas.

Movements
Most British Kestrels are fairly sedentary, with some 75% not moving more than 70km from their natal area. As with most birds of prey, however, young birds may travel more widely before settling to breed. Kestrels can easily travel over open water and regularly cross the North Sea. Many Scandinavian birds, escaping harsh winters, will winter in the UK. Our Kestrel, known elsewhere in its range as Common Kestrel, is one of a group of similar species many of which are extremely range-restricted island species.

Feeding
Kestrels feed almost exclusively on small mouse-sized mammals. Voles are a favourite, although in certain areas young rats may be an important food source exposing Kestrels to commercial rodent poisons. Kestrels are, however, very adaptable birds and will make use of any opportunities as they arrive, including taking birds, especially nestlings, invertebrates, bats, reptiles and amphibians but they lack the agility to be especially good predators of birds, unlike the other falcons Merlin, Peregrine and Hobby. Each Kestrel requires the equivalent of 4-8 voles a day.

It is believed that hovering birds are watching for movement, regardless of how much the body moves, the head remains remarkably still while the bird is concentrating on the ground. It is now known that vole urine (which is constantly dribbled as the animal goes about its life) fluoresces and Kestrels can see the urine trails in the grass, leading them with a ‘road map’ to where the animal currently is.

Despite the classic hovering hunting method being so well-known, Kestrels prefer to employ the sit and wait approach to hunting, spending long periods sitting still on a post, tree or rock, watching until some item of prey is spotted, when the bird will slip off to pounce. In fact, hovering could be considered a sit and wait hunting technique where there is no suitable perch to use.