ON THE BACK: Tawny owls, the UK’s commonest owl, are mainly a woodland species but they also occur in parks and larger town gardens. Hunting from a perch, they detect their prey using excellent night vision and an acute sense of hearing. Then, on specially designed and incredibly soft feathers, in near silence they can approach their prey virtually undetected. As well as small mammals, tawny owls will prey on frogs, small birds, fish, worms and insects.