Eurasian Pygmy Owl
Encyclopedia
The Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium passerinum, is the smallest
owl
in Europe. These owls are a dark reddish to greyish-brown, with spotted sides and half of a white ring around the back of their neck.
The owl preys on birds – some nearly as large as itself – and small mammal
s, such as vole
s.
It is found in the boreal forests of Northern and Central Europe to Siberia, usually at the edges of clearings. It nests in old woodpecker
holes, often those of the Great Spotted Woodpecker
.
This is a sedentary species, meaning that adults are resident throughout the year in its range. The exception would be during harsh winters, when the adults may move south. Young of the species usually move in autumn or winter. In the wild Eurasian Pygmy Owls may live six to seven years and sometimes even longer in captivity.
This Starling-sized
bird
hunts at dawn, dusk, and even daytime, rather than in total darkness.
and higher mountainous regions with coniferous and mixed forests. These areas generally have cooler temperatures and higher rainfall than nearby lowland regions. Eurasian Pygmy Owls' nest sites are often surrounded by moist or swampy land, in groups of young spruce
s with a water source nearby. They nest in tree cavities, usually being old woodpecker
holes.
prey, they have adapted disproportionately large feet. The pygmy owl has a small, short head with white to gray eyebrows and yellow eyes. However, it has no ear tufts like most other owls. There is a white half collar on the back of the neck. The belly is mostly white with brown speckles. The beak of the Eurasian Pygmy Owl is a grayish yellow and hook shaped. The legs and toes are a brownish-yellow with black talon
s. Female owls are generally bigger than the males. The length of the males is about 15.2 to 17 cm (6-6.7"), and the length of females is anywhere from 17.4 to 19 cm (6.8-7.5"). Males weigh about 50-65g (1.76-2.3 oz), and females weigh about 67 to 77g (2.36-2.7 oz).
Eurasian Pygmy Owls nest in tree cavities; many times in old woodpecker holes. The trees are usually coniferous like the forests in which they prefer to live. Although, in some cases they will also nest in birch
and beech
trees. The owls form mating pairs in autumn and late winter/early spring. As a courtship ritual, the male leads the female around and shows her his territory. If the male uses the same nest as the previous breeding season, then this will be the only one he shows her. The male will also feed the female.
Eurasian Pygmy Owls are serially monogamous, meaning that they only have one mate at a time; therefore, the two owls may pair for more than one breeding season. The male Eurasian Pygmy Owls are very territorial and may use the same nesting territory for up to 7 years. The female lays about four to seven eggs around the first half of April. Their incubation period is four weeks and is said to begin when the third egg is laid. The eggs hatch all around the same time and the female cares for them for the next nine to ten days. During this time, the male continues to feed the female pygmy owl. After three weeks, the young begin to look out of the nest and the female only enters the nest to bring them food or clean out waste. After thirty to thirty four days, the young leave the nest. After leaving the nest, offspring remain close for several more days for food and guidance, and then depart to find their own territory.
mammals like vole
s, lemming
s, and mice
. They may also catch small birds like thrush
es, crossbill
s, chaffinch
es, and leaf-warblers. They are even able to catch these prey birds in flight sometimes. Other prey may include small lizard
s, bat
s, fish
, and insect
s. During the winter months, the owls may store food in tree cavities. Because these small owls lack the ability to fly silently, they are mostly diurnal. This means that they are mostly active during the daytime, a unique trait since most people think of all owls as being nocturnal creatures. This is advantageous because much of their prey is also diurnal. The owls are most active just before sunrise and shortly after sunset.
. Adult owls may move south in severe winter months. Adolescents are found moving around in fall and winter.
owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
in Europe. These owls are a dark reddish to greyish-brown, with spotted sides and half of a white ring around the back of their neck.
The owl preys on birds – some nearly as large as itself – and small mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, such as vole
Vole
A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s.
It is found in the boreal forests of Northern and Central Europe to Siberia, usually at the edges of clearings. It nests in old woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
holes, often those of the Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
The Great Spotted Woodpecker , Dendrocopos major, is a bird species of the woodpecker family . It is distributed throughout Europe and northern Asia, and usually resident year-round except in the colder parts of its range...
.
This is a sedentary species, meaning that adults are resident throughout the year in its range. The exception would be during harsh winters, when the adults may move south. Young of the species usually move in autumn or winter. In the wild Eurasian Pygmy Owls may live six to seven years and sometimes even longer in captivity.
This Starling-sized
European Starling
The Common Starling , also known as the European Starling or just Starling, is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae.This species of starling is native to most of temperate Europe and western Asia...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
hunts at dawn, dusk, and even daytime, rather than in total darkness.
Habitat
Eurasian Pygmy Owls can be found primarily in coniferous forests of the taigaTaiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
and higher mountainous regions with coniferous and mixed forests. These areas generally have cooler temperatures and higher rainfall than nearby lowland regions. Eurasian Pygmy Owls' nest sites are often surrounded by moist or swampy land, in groups of young spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
s with a water source nearby. They nest in tree cavities, usually being old woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
holes.
Description
The Eurasian Pygmy Owl is usually red tinged to a grayish-brown with dots on his/her back. The tail is generally darker than the body with 5 narrow, whitish bars. In order to be able to carry larger vertebrateVertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
prey, they have adapted disproportionately large feet. The pygmy owl has a small, short head with white to gray eyebrows and yellow eyes. However, it has no ear tufts like most other owls. There is a white half collar on the back of the neck. The belly is mostly white with brown speckles. The beak of the Eurasian Pygmy Owl is a grayish yellow and hook shaped. The legs and toes are a brownish-yellow with black talon
Talon
A talon is a sharp claw of an animal, especially a bird of prey, such as the eagle, hawk, falcon, owl, or buzzard. It may also refer to:Places:* Talon, Nièvre, a commune in the Nièvre département in France...
s. Female owls are generally bigger than the males. The length of the males is about 15.2 to 17 cm (6-6.7"), and the length of females is anywhere from 17.4 to 19 cm (6.8-7.5"). Males weigh about 50-65g (1.76-2.3 oz), and females weigh about 67 to 77g (2.36-2.7 oz).
Call
The call of the Eurasian Pygmy Owl is much higher pitched than what is generally perceived as a normal owl “hooting” sound. The call almost sounds squeaky. The male’s normal call is quite monotonous. It consists of clear, fluted notes spaced by about two seconds. The females' call is similar to the males', the only difference being that the female call is higher pitched. Before and after the mating season, both males and females make a five to seven note rise on the pitch scale.Breeding
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
and beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
trees. The owls form mating pairs in autumn and late winter/early spring. As a courtship ritual, the male leads the female around and shows her his territory. If the male uses the same nest as the previous breeding season, then this will be the only one he shows her. The male will also feed the female.
Eurasian Pygmy Owls are serially monogamous, meaning that they only have one mate at a time; therefore, the two owls may pair for more than one breeding season. The male Eurasian Pygmy Owls are very territorial and may use the same nesting territory for up to 7 years. The female lays about four to seven eggs around the first half of April. Their incubation period is four weeks and is said to begin when the third egg is laid. The eggs hatch all around the same time and the female cares for them for the next nine to ten days. During this time, the male continues to feed the female pygmy owl. After three weeks, the young begin to look out of the nest and the female only enters the nest to bring them food or clean out waste. After thirty to thirty four days, the young leave the nest. After leaving the nest, offspring remain close for several more days for food and guidance, and then depart to find their own territory.
Hunting/food
The diet of the Eurasian Pygmy Owl includes mostly small vertebrateVertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
mammals like vole
Vole
A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s, lemming
Lemming
Lemmings are small rodents, usually found in or near the Arctic, in tundra biomes. They are subniveal animals, and together with voles and muskrats, they make up the subfamily Arvicolinae , which forms part of the largest mammal radiation by far, the superfamily Muroidea, which also includes rats,...
s, and mice
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
. They may also catch small birds like thrush
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
es, crossbill
Crossbill
The crossbill is a bird in the finch family . The three to five species are all classified in the genus Loxia. These birds are characterised by the mandibles crossing at their tips, which gives the group its English name...
s, chaffinch
Chaffinch
The Chaffinch , also called by a wide variety of other names, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.- Description :...
es, and leaf-warblers. They are even able to catch these prey birds in flight sometimes. Other prey may include small lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s, bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. During the winter months, the owls may store food in tree cavities. Because these small owls lack the ability to fly silently, they are mostly diurnal. This means that they are mostly active during the daytime, a unique trait since most people think of all owls as being nocturnal creatures. This is advantageous because much of their prey is also diurnal. The owls are most active just before sunrise and shortly after sunset.
Location
The Eurasian Pygmy Owl can be found in Northern and Central Europe, and east to SiberiaSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. Adult owls may move south in severe winter months. Adolescents are found moving around in fall and winter.
External links
- Eurasian Pygmy Owl videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection