Guest guest Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 A 20-year-old tawny owl has astonished conservationists by becoming the oldest ever breeding female found in the wild. According to the British Trust for Ornithology, if she makes it through the winter she will equal the record for the oldest ever tawny in the UK, which is currently held by a 21-year-old from North Yorkshire. On average tawny owls live to just a quarter of that age. advertisement The owl reared her two chicks in a specially provided nest box in Kershope Forest, Cumbria, which is part of the 155,000-acre Kielder Forest. The owl was ringed as a chick in April 1987 in the Kershope Forest and has probably produced scores of offspring. Her longevity owes much to the Forestry Commission's tawny owl project, which began in 1980. More than 230 nesting boxes have been erected to make up for a lack of natural nest sites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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