As darkness falls across the British countryside, a hidden world comes to life. Nocturnal birds, with their specially adapted eyes and keen hearing, emerge to hunt and forage under the cover of night. These mysterious creatures are rarely seen by most people, making them some of the UK’s most intriguing avian residents. From the silent flight of owls to the eerie calls of nightjars, these birds have captured human imagination for centuries. Here are 12 of the UK’s most fascinating nocturnal birds.
Tawny Owl
The tawny owl is the UK’s most common owl species, known for its distinctive “twit-twoo” call. These stocky, round-headed owls are strictly nocturnal and rarely seen during daylight hours. Tawny owls have asymmetrical ear openings, which allow them to pinpoint the exact location of their prey in complete darkness. Their eyes are incredibly large in proportion to their skull, providing excellent night vision that’s about 100 times more sensitive than human eyes.
Barn Owl
With its heart-shaped face and ghostly white plumage, the barn owl is one of Britain’s most recognisable nocturnal birds. These silent hunters rely on their exceptional hearing to locate small mammals in total darkness. Barn owls can consume up to 1,000 small mammals each year, making them valuable allies for farmers in controlling rodent populations. Their feathers have a special structure that allows for silent flight, giving them a significant advantage when hunting unsuspecting prey.
Long-Eared Owl
The long-eared owl is named for its prominent ear tufts, which aren’t actually ears but display feathers. These medium-sized owls are masters of camouflage, blending perfectly with tree bark when roosting during the day. Long-eared owls are highly nocturnal and are known for their low, purring hoots during the breeding season. They often hunt in open country, using their excellent hearing to locate prey up to 500 metres away.
Short-Eared Owl
Unlike most owls, the short-eared owl is often active during twilight hours, especially in winter. These ground-nesting raptors inhabit open moorlands, marshes, and coastal grasslands. Short-eared owls have excellent hearing and can locate prey under snow or vegetation, making them efficient hunters even in challenging conditions. Their population in the UK fluctuates depending on vole abundance, with some years seeing influxes of continental birds.
Little Owl
The little owl, despite its name, is not native to the UK but was introduced in the 19th century. These small, charismatic owls are often active during the day, especially at dawn and dusk. Little owls have a comical, run-and-stop hunting style and are known for their piercing yellow eyes and expressive faces. They often use man-made structures for nesting and hunting perches, making them one of the more visible owl species in urban and suburban areas.
Nightjar
The nightjar is a truly bizarre-looking bird, with a wide mouth, large eyes, and cryptic plumage. These summer visitors to the UK are perfectly adapted for catching moths and other flying insects on the wing. Nightjars are known for their distinctive churring call, which can be heard on warm summer evenings in heathland and woodland areas. Their eyes have a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum, which gives them excellent night vision and creates an eerie red eyeshine when caught in torchlight.
Woodcock
The woodcock is a plump wading bird with excellent camouflage that allows it to blend in with woodland floors. During the breeding season, male woodcocks perform spectacular display flights at dusk and dawn, known as “roding.” These flights involve a distinctive croaking and whistling call that adds to the mystique of twilight woodlands. Woodcocks have eyes positioned high and far back on their heads, giving them 360-degree vision to spot predators while probing for food.
Stone-Curlew
The stone-curlew is a rare and unusual-looking bird with large yellow eyes and long legs. These ground-nesting birds are most active at night, when their eerie, wailing calls can be heard across their favoured chalk downland and heathland habitats. Stone-curlews are extremely sensitive to disturbance, making them challenging to observe. Their large eyes are adapted for nocturnal vision, allowing them to spot insects and small vertebrates in low light conditions.
Manx Shearwater
While not strictly nocturnal, Manx shearwaters return to their breeding colonies on UK islands under the cover of darkness to avoid predators. These seabirds spend most of their life at sea, only coming to land to breed. The eerie calls of Manx shearwaters returning to their burrows at night have given rise to many folkloric tales in coastal communities. These remarkable birds are capable of flying over 8,000 km during their annual migration, navigating across vast oceans to return to their breeding sites with pinpoint accuracy.
Storm Petrel
The storm petrel is one of the UK’s smallest seabirds, returning to its breeding sites only at night. These tiny birds spend most of their lives far out at sea, coming to land just to breed in crevices and burrows on remote islands. Storm petrels have an extraordinary sense of smell, which they use to locate food and their nesting sites in complete darkness. They can live for over 30 years, spending almost their entire lives on the wing and touching land only to breed.
Corncrake
The corncrake is a secretive bird that’s rarely seen but often heard during summer nights in its remaining UK strongholds. These elusive birds hide in tall vegetation during the day and become active at night. The male’s distinctive “crex-crex” call, which gives the bird its scientific name, can be heard repeatedly through the night during the breeding season. Corncrakes have experienced severe declines due to changes in agricultural practices, making them a priority species for conservation efforts in the UK.
Leach’s Petrel
Leach’s petrel is another nocturnal seabird that breeds on remote UK islands. These small, dark birds return to their breeding colonies under the cover of darkness to avoid predators. Leach’s petrels produce a distinctive purring call at their breeding sites, which has been described as sounding like a fairy being sick – a peculiar addition to the nighttime soundscape of their breeding grounds. They have a remarkable ability to store oil derived from their marine prey, which they use both as an energy reserve and as a defensive mechanism, regurgitating the foul-smelling oil when threatened.
