Special Delivery at Cumbria’s World Owl Trust Centre

Keepers from the World Owl Centre at Muncaster Castle in the Lake District are celebrating two new arrivals.

For the first time, two African Spotted Eagle owlets have hatched out at the Centre, less than a year after their parents arrived from Furness Owls in Barrow. 

To help the pair breed successfully, the staff have experimented with the aviary nest sites, giving the owls a nest tray as well as a nest box to see which they preferred.  The female chose the nest box and on the 18th of February 2008 she started nesting.  A few weeks later her eggs hatched and she’s now the proud mother of two healthy owlets. 

Both owlets are now out of the nest and can be seen in the aviary, sometimes sitting on the feed table waiting to be fed.   

The Owl Centre team have reported that the owlets’ mum and dad are excellent parents and are very protective.

Owl Keeper, Vicky Lane, says:
“I spent some time doing conservation work in South Africa last year, mainly with lions, as well as lots of other South African wildlife. The first time I saw an owl in the wild, it was an African Spotted Eagle Owl, so I’m really enjoying watching these owlets develop at home in Muncaster.”

People are able to see these new owlets and many others of different species of owl at the Centre.  Visitors can also enjoy a special ‘Meet The Birds’ display, which takes place daily from 2.30pm at Muncaster Castle.

The African Spotted Eagle is the most familiar owl in South-East Africa.  They live in a variety of habitats from open woodland, savannah, riverine woods with rocky hills or stony slopes to desert and cultivated parkland.

In the wild, pairs mate for life and usually lay 2 to 4 eggs in a wide variety of places - on the ground, rocky ledges, steep banks, amongst boulders and on buildings.

The upperparts of their body are dusky-brown with whitish spots and below they are greyish-brown to creamy-white with dark barring. They have long prominent ear tufts, yellow eyes and a grey facial disk that is rimmed in black. This species lacks the size and strength of other eagle owls, only reaching around 45cm in height.

They are mainly nocturnal but sometimes hunt before sunset or during the day, feeding on beetles, spiders and scorpions.  They are also known to eat small mammals, birds and reptiles.

The World Owl Trust is the world’s premier owl conservation organisation and promotes scientific research, habitat creation and restoration and a UK national nest-box scheme, together with captive breeding programmes.

For over 30 years, The Trust has given unstinting effort to ensure that endangered owls the world over survive far into this new millennium for future generations to enjoy.
The World Owl Trust is also operates a wildlife rehabilitation unit where injured birds in particular and other animals are received and cared for until they are well enough to return to the wild.  This service is provided free of charge.  

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