In a sheltered barn owl nest in a church tower in Yorkshire, two barn owls work to feed their owlets, who have begun to hatch from their eggs every few days. The parents catch voles for food, and for the first few weeks, never leave their thinly-clad hatchlings. The babies don’t yet have “a sufficient layer of downy feathers” to keep warm.
This owl-filled clip is from Five Owl Farm. Narrated by British actor Robert Hardy, the 2003-2004 BBC series documents a patch of British farmland that’s occupied by five different species of owls, a rarity.
The clip’s second half observes long-eared owls. Because of their outdoor nests, this species must mature more quickly than the barn owl to survive exposure to the elements.
Watch oh-so-many owl videos on TKSST, including:
• Scenes from inside a Barred Owl nest
• The Orphan Owl
• A Great Horned Owl Live Cam
• What makes owls so quiet & so deadly for prey?
• Birds gliding through helium bubbles reveal an aerodynamic trick
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