Tawny Owl

Chris Sperring is looking for a tawny owl in the middle of Bristol.

The tawny owl is fairly adaptable. Predominantly brown in colour, with huge eyes; the size of a wood pigeon. It could quite easily disappear into the background in the leafy area of a city, as long as there are enough small mammals to sustain it.

Chris meets Professor Stephen Harris, who is one of the UK's leading experts in small mammals.

Chris goes deeper into the city, to a green area with trees. Here the tawny owls have some cover and somewhere to hunt from.

But does all the noise and motion from people and machinery disturb the owls?

Producer: Julian Hector

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2007.