It was amazing to watch tawny owl Luna & Bomber's first owl chick hatching! It was particularly amazing because Luna had just left the nest so we were able to see the exact moment the owlet hatched which I have never seen before. And of course after she has had 2 failed clutches for the past two years it was particularly exciting. Usually, tawny owl chicks hatch out under the cover of the female's feathers - but Luna needed to take a quick daily toilet break and wing stretch, so she left the nest for just under 10 minutes.
The egg hatching process
When a tawny owl egg is about to hatch, the chick inside the egg begins to move and break the shell using an egg tooth, a small, pointed protuberance on the top of its beak. The chick will then use its legs to push against the shell until it creates a small hole. This process is called pipping. Once the chick has pipped, it will continue to move and work on breaking the shell until it can fully emerge. The process of hatching can take several hours, and the chick may rest intermittently throughout.
What a tawny owl chick looks like when it first hatches
When the chick has finally hatched, it will be covered in down feathers and its eyes will be closed. It will rely on its parents for warmth and protection, for the first 24 hours it can survive entirely on the yolk sack that is inside it. But soon, the mother will feed it regurgitated food. The moment of hatching is a crucial and exciting moment in the life cycle of a tawny owl, and it marks the beginning of its journey into the world.
