Scientists in Finland say warmer winters in recent years are causing some of the country’s
owls to change colour. Research done at the University of Helsinki suggests brown owls are
better able to survive the warmer weather than grey-feathered owls. Victoria Gill reports.
Despite their name, tawny owls actually come in two colours. And in Finland, the freezing,
snowy winters give pale grey birds a camouflage advantage over their darker brownfeathered
counterparts. But as the Finnish winters get milder, the grey owls are disappearing.
The University of Helsinki team gathered 30 years’ worth of genetic and population data on
tawny owls. They found that the birds inherited their plumage colour from their parents. The
grey tawnys, as well being better hidden from predators in the snow, seem to be endowed
with other genetic advantages that make them healthier and stronger. But despite this, the
brown owl population is now overtaking that of the greys, because the warmer winters have
improved the brown owls’ chances of survival.
The lead researcher, Dr Patrik Karell, said that this showed that the birds were evolving in
response to climate change, so the tawny owl gene pool is actually getting browner. This is
the first evidence of climate change having such an effect in the animal kingdom.
Victoria Gill, BBC News

Vocabulary and definitions

More on this story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9401000/9401733.stm ^[1]
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/02/110225_witn_finlandowl_page.shtml ^[2]