One of the 4 owlets on WAnimals
Birds · Strigiformes · Strigidae
Little Owl
Athene noctua
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
Its scientific name honours the Greek goddess Athena, symbol of wisdom. It is extremely sedentary, rarely straying more than 20 kilometres from where it hatched in its whole life.
Weight
169 g – 240 g
Size
21 cm – 23 cm
Lifespan
3 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Crepuscular
Active above all at dawn and dusk.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- comportamientoUnlike other owls it is often active by day as well, especially at dawn and dusk.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Open farmland, olive groves, countryside and town edges of Europe, North Africa and Central Asia
- Birth weight
- 10 - 12 grams
- Size at birth
- Blind and covered in short white down on hatching
- Sexual maturity
- 1 year
- Gestation / incubation
- 28-29 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 2 to 8 eggs per clutch (most commonly 3-5)
- Lifespan in captivity
- Documented record of more than 10 years in captivity
Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; Animal Corner; AnAge; Earth Life; Understanding the Little Owl; EBSCO Research Starters; The Owl Pages; Giraffa
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round; unlike other owls it shows itself by day, perched on posts, stone piles, ruins and roofs.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 192 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Little Owl — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
Northern Hawk-Owl
Surnia ulula
Boreal Owl
Aegolius funereus
Eurasian Pygmy Owl
Glaucidium passerinum
Least ConcernTawny Owl
Strix aluco
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about little owl.
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