Tawny owl juveniles perched on a tree in Hessen, Germany

Tawny owl juveniles perched on a tree in Hessen, Germany

Strix aluco is the formal (and rather fashionable) name of these fluffy little owls, which are better known as either tawny or brown owls. Not all tawny owls are all that tawny, like the grey plumage on the middle member of the trio. These nocturnal birds are common to many forest and woodland regions of the Eurasian continent, and use their big eyes and keen sense of hearing to catch rodents and other prey at night.