Less than a hundred years ago this owl, which is little larger than a thrush, was not known in Britain, but repeated attempts to introduce it from the Continent met with ultimate success, and today it is widespread throughout the country. Gamekeepers condemn it as a destroyer of young pheasants, but an examination of its pellets shows that it feeds chiefly on beetles and small mammals. It is a day and night hunter. It nests in holes in trees and rocks, laying its eggs on the bare wood or rock. In its daytime excursions it is often mobbed by other birds. |