THE tawny owl has been named Oldham’s ‘bird of the borough’ by a recent survey.

A whopping 83 per cent of respondents agreed that the tawny owl was the bird which the borough is most known for, with 32 per cent claiming to have spotted one in the town.

The Perfect Ten survey by Greater Manchester Birding City Region Project (GMBCR) aimed to assign a bird species to each of the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester.

The ten birds respondents got to select from included, a Mute Swan, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Kingfisher, Mandarin Duck, Peregrine Falcon, Northern Lapwing, Tawny Owl, Willow Tit, Little Egret and Red Grouse.

James Walsh, aka the Mancunian Birder, who has been watching birds in Greater Manchester for more than 30 years, said: “The GMBCR Project made the initial selections based on the ecology, character and heritage of each of the ten boroughs.”

He added: “We spent two years doing our research, including cycling 5,000 miles around Greater Manchester and looking at literature, including Bird Reports. We attempted to select ten bird species that give people a real representation of Greater Manchester’s avian ecology, a realistic reflection of the city region’s environment.”

A Perfect Ten Birds of Greater Manchester Survey report is being compiled, published and sent to all the borough councils and conservation organisations in Greater Manchester.