Little owl

Athene noctua

Common name:

Little owl (en); mocho-galego (pt); chevêche d'Athéna (fr); mochuelo europeo (es); steinkauz (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Strigiformes

Family Strigidae

Range:

The little owl is a resident species in most of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia and north Africa. They were introduced in Great Britain and New Zealand.

Size:

This small owl is 23-27,5 cm long and has a wingspan of 50-56 cm. Females tend to be slightly larger than males. Males weigh between 140-180 g while females weigh between 150-200 g.

Habitat:

this is a sedentary species which is found in open habitats, mainly mixed farmland and parkland. In many parts of their range they use steppe and agricultural pseudo-steppe habitats.

Diet:

They mostly feed on insects, earthworms and amphibians. They also hunt small mammals and birds. Unlike most owls, little owls are often seen hunting during the day.

Breeding:

The nests are found in holes in trees, rocks, cliffs, river banks, wall, buildings and owl nest boxes. Egg laying takes place in April-May, and they lay 3-5 eggs which are incubated solely by the female for 28-29 days. The chicks fledge 26 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

With a population estimated at 5-15 million and an extremely large breeding range, this species is not threatened at present.