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Little Owl

Little Owl

Athene noctua

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The Little Owl is a small owl with a flat-topped head, bright yellow eyes and white “eyebrows” that give it a stern, frowning look. It ranges widely across Europe, Asia and North Africa and has also been introduced to New Zealand and parts of western Europe outside its native range. Active mainly at dusk and night, it thrives in open landscapes from farmland and orchards to steppe and semi-desert.

Did you know?

  • Its genus name, Athene, honours the Greek goddess Athena, and it was her symbol on ancient Athenian coins.
  • It often flies in a bounding, undulating way reminiscent of a woodpecker.

Voice

Song
Call
Alarm call

About the species

Identification

A small owl (21–27 cm, wingspan about 60 cm) with a relatively large, flat head, long legs and bright yellow eyes. In flight it shows broad, rounded wings and a bounding, woodpecker-like flight. Calls include a plaintive, rising whistle and a sharp “kee-kee-kee” alarm. These features separate it from other small owls.

Family

Strigidae

Size

Medium (thrush)

Colours

brown, white, grey, yellow

About the habitat

Open countryside including farmland with hedgerows and old trees, orchards, steppe, stony semi-desert, quarries, ruins and villages.

Diet

Mainly insects, earthworms and other invertebrates, plus small mammals, birds and reptiles when available.

Behaviour

Active mainly at dusk and night but often seen by day perched on posts, walls or roofs, bobbing its head. Strongly territorial. It nests in cavities in trees, walls or buildings and lays about four eggs; the female incubates while the male brings food, and the young leave the nest at about seven weeks. Calls include a rising, plaintive “kiew” and sharp alarm notes.

Sources

Photo: Максат79, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Домовый сыч. Сова в каньоне урочища Бозжыра. 01.jpg

Sound: Joost van Bruggen, XC431980, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://xeno-canto.org/431980

Sound: Sonothèque ADVL, XC1107794, CC0 1.0 https://xeno-canto.org/1107794

Sound: Sonothèque ADVL, XC1079673, CC0 1.0 https://xeno-canto.org/1079673

Text: Wikipedia (English), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_owl

See also