A medium-sized owl with large “ear” tufts and orange-yellow eyes. Its plumage of brown with buffish markings allows it to blend in perfectly with the trunks of large trees where it nests. It tends to use the old nests of Magpies or other crows in which to breed, in isolated Holm oak trees, riverine ash trees or tall pines close to cultivation. It feeds on voles and mice and sometimes also small birds. In winter, it will often roost socially in large numbers in tall trees.
