These barn owls are called Gylfie and Finn.
The female owl Gylfie is incubating four precious eggs.
[Music] In less than a month's time, the chicks
will begin to hatch. [Music]
It's early May and female owl Gylfie is carefully brooding their clutch.
She uses her body heat to keep the eggs around 34 degrees Celsius.
This is known as incubation and it's a full-time job.
For the next month she'll spend nearly 24 hours a day brooding.
While Gylfie is occupied she doesn't have time to get food for herself.
Thankfully her mate Finn is on a mission, [Music]
is on the hunt for small rodents.
[Music]
Success he has caught one and returns to the nest with the catch.
He has caught a shrew and heads in to feed his mate.
[Music] Gylfie needs three or four meals like
this a day, so Finn's got his work cut out.
[Music] But he is an expert hunter
[Music] and ensures she is well fed.
[Music]
Both owls are working hard in their respective roles.
They've got a hectic time ahead, so working well together is vital.
They make time to cement their pair bonds.
Finn still mates with Gylfie often, even though he's not fertilizing more eggs.
He is so attentive, preening her
and keeping her company during the long incubation.
[Music]
By the end of May Gylfie has been brooding for nearly a month
and she's getting restless.
Tending to the eggs often [Music]
and turning them to ensure the chicks develop correctly.
[Music] Later she leaves the eggs
and heads out to stretch her wings.
This gives Finn a chance to take a closer look.
He decides that this egg should be over here.
[Music] He can hear a chick inside,
the hatching process has begun. Gylfie soon returns and isn't best
pleased with his handiwork.
[Music]
Early the next morning she tidies up around the eggs.
Possibly sensing that the first chick is hatching.
[Music] Soon she stands,
revealing a crack in the first egg. [Music]
And a tiny chick is cheeping from inside.
[Music]
It takes over an hour for the chick to fully emerge.
Barn owl chicks hatch bald and blind, it's incredible to think in two months
this chick will be ready to fly.
It's got a long way to go before then, in Step One it is it's first meal.
[Music] Gylfie tears the food into bite-sized
morsels, and carefully feeds the chick.
[Music]
When she's finished feeding, she tucks it under her feathers for warmth.
For a chick to thrive it needs to be kept at 37 degrees Celsius, but it can't
stay warm on its own. Until it's about 10 days old Gylfie will
use her body heat to keep it at the perfect temperature.
[Music]
A few hours later Finn heads inside
and as Gylfie stands up to stretch,
he gets his first look at his offspring.
[Music]
It's now the 3rd of June, two days after the first chick hatched.
I'm keeping a close eye on the nest, because the second chick is due anytime.
[Music]
But as night falls, there's still no sign of a crack.
Three days later Gylfie stands to reveal a small pip in one of the eggs.
Another chick is on its way. [Music]
[Music] Gylfie pulls the egg from under her feathers and gently nibbles at the
eggshell to help the tiny owlet. [Music]
But it isn't easy. by mid-afternoon the chick still hasn't made it out of the
egg.
[Music]
Despite the momentous occasion Finn
thinks it's the perfect time for more mating.
[Music]
[Music] Finally five hours after the first crack,
the second chick is hatched.
[Music]
[Music] From the time between the chicks
hatching, it looks like this one came from egg number three.
[Music] I'm not sure why the second egg was
unsuccessful, but the following night she discards it from under her.
[Music]
This barn owl family is growing fast and the first two chicks are developing well.
[Music] Finn is so interested in the owlets he
takes a closer look as Gylfie feeds them.
[Music]
He's a constant support for his mate
and I loving Dad to.
Three days later Gylfie stands to reveal a pip in the last egg,
and soon the third and final chick has hatched.
[Music]
The final chick's arrival marks the beginning of a new chapter for this barn
owl pair. Gylfie and Finn have worked together as
a team, ensuring three of the four chicks hatch successfully.
And it'll be amazing to see these tiny owlets thrive under the watchful eye of
their experienced parents. [Music
In the next film watch as the owlets grow and develop.
And when disaster strikes how will Gylfie get on as a single parent.
Thank you for watching and I hope you enjoyed the video. Don't forget to like,
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