Dead Owl.....Road Kill

V Bull

While driving home last Sunday afternoon I saw what I thought was a dead hawk on the roadside. Today I was travelling on the same road and decided to see if it was still there……..it was…..

This is the first Owl that I have ever seen but unfortunately, as you can see, it is dead. Road kill at it’s worst. I checked if it had a ring or tag for ID/stats etc, it hadn’t. Checking up on my bird guide book when I got home this evening I reckon it is a Tawny Owl, but more than likely I’m wrong…..open to correction yet again.

Location, approx 2km east of Tyrrellspass on the old N6 Galway-Dublin road. The photos were taken with a camera phone, hence the poor quality. My boot, a size 9, might give some sort of measurement.

Mr. Presentable

I'd have said short-eared owl. We don't have the tawny here.

V Bull

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

I'd have said short-eared owl. We don't have the tawny here.

Thanks Mr P, I'm still on a steep learnig curve here........

Feargal as Luimneach

It's a long eared owl. The facial disc is too dark for short eared owl. Also the streaking on underparts of short owl is a vertical streak not the cross-like streaking on long eared owl. Lucky the bird killed was a long eared owl and not the much rarer Barn Owl, still sad though...
Here's a photo of a short eared owl for comparison:

V Bull

Thanks Feargal, it's amazing how well preserved he is after a week, only his eyes were gone.........