Uncommon breeding residents.

Like other birds of prey in the nineteenth century Tawny Owls were regularly shot by, gamekeepers. Having recovered from this persecution in the first half of the twentieth century, their numbers declined again from the effects of toxic insecticides in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the very cold winter of 1962/63.

In the 1960s they were recorded from: Astonbury; Box Wood; Fairview Road; Grace Way; Monkswood area; Mossbury House; Farm Buildings in Six Hills Way; Watery Grove; Whitney Wood (where one was found dead on 18 May 1968 which seemed to have choked on a mouse or vole which was stuck on its lower mandible), Whomerley Wood. One was also seen to take a Sparrow at dusk in the garden of 2 Lodge Way in 1967.

Records for the 1970s came from: Aston; Astonbury Wood (where one was seen being, “mobbed” on 9 July 1978); Aston End; The Avenue; Barclay School; Barnwell School; Broadwater; Brooches Wood; Box Wood; Bury Mead; Chells; Mobbsbury House; New Wood, Aston End; Old Town; Pin Green; Popple Way; Shephall; Shephalbury; Symonds Green; The Towers, Town Centre; Watery Grove; Whitney Wood; Whomerley Wood; The Willows.

1980s records came from: Astonbury Wood; The Avenue; Box Wood (where five were recorded on 15 March 1980); Chells Manor Woods; Gresley Way (where one was a road casualty in September 1981); Popple Way; Ripon Road area.

In the 1990s they were only recorded from Astonbury Wood and Watery Grove.

Between 2000 and 2009 records came from: Exeter Close; Fairlands Valley Lakes; Monks Wood; Pin Green; Watery Grove.

Between 2010 and 2019 records came from: Abbots Grove; Ashtree Wood; Aston End Road; Collenswood; Fairlands Valley Park; Fairview Road; Mossbury School.

Since 2020 they have been recorded from: Abbots Grove; Astonbury Wood; Fairlands Valley Park.

The 1973 Breeding Atlas confirmed breeding from two of Stevenage’s tetrads, the 1992 Atlas from four and the 2012 Atlas only considered breeding as possible from three tetrads. Breeding was confirmed from Stevenage in 2015 and, Aston in 2018.

The 2012 Winter Atlas confirmed their presence from six of the tetrads covering Stevenage.

The Common Bird Census at Watery Grove recorded their presence during the 1972, 1976, 1979 and 1991 breeding seasons.