Tawny Owls, (Strix Aluco) or Brown Owls as they are sometimes referred to, are common and widespread throughout Europe. They are also the commonest raptor in Britain. It is quite a dynamic bird, about the size of a pigeon, with a weight ranging around 385 grams – 800 grams, the female of the species being larger than the male. The tawny Owl’s retina has 56,000 light sensitive rod cells per square millimetre – around 36 million per square inch. It is a nocturnal hunter, feeding on field mice, vole, shrew and the House Sparrow.