Eurasian Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium passerinum
Tiny, almost sparrow-sized, owl of coniferous and mixed forests. Note staring golden eyes, white eyebrows, and fine pale spotting on the crown. Most active around dusk and dawn, but can be seen hunting in the daytime as well. Sometimes perches atop conifers, but more often rather inconspicuous; can be quite bold when encountered. Song is a varied series of whistled toots, usually given around dawn and dusk and easily imitated.
Identification
The Eurasian pygmy owl is usually red-tinged to a greyish-brown with dots on its back. The tail is generally darker than the body with five narrow, whitish bars. It has a small, short head with white to grey eyebrows and yellow eyes. It lacks the ear tufts that many other owls have. There is a white half-collar on the back of the neck. The belly is mostly white with brown speckles. The beak is a greyish-yellow and hook-shaped.<p>In order to be able to carry larger vertebrate prey, it has evolved disproportionately large feet. The legs and toes are a brownish-yellow with black talons. Females are 17.4 to 19 cm (6.9 to 7.5 in) long, and males are generally smaller, measuring 15.2 to 17 cm (6.0 to 6.7 in) in length. Females are about 67 to 77 g (2.4 to 2.7 oz), and males are 50 to 65 g (1.8 to 2.3 oz) in weight.<p>The call of the Eurasian pygmy owl is much higher in pitch than what is generally perceived as a normal owl "hoot". The call of the male is a monotonous chain of clear, fluted notes spaced by about two seconds. The call of the female is similar, but higher in pitch. Before and after the mating season, both males and females make a five to seven note rise on the pitch scale.
Taxonomy
The Eurasian pygmy owl was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Strix passerina. The type locality is Sweden. The specific epithet is from Latin passerinus meaning "sparrow-like" implying "sparrow sized". This owl is now placed in the genus Glaucidium that was introduced in 1826 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie.<p>Two subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Glaucidium passerinum
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Glaucidium
Range and habitat
This owl can be found primarily in coniferous forests of the taiga and higher mountainous regions with coniferous and mixed forests. These areas generally have cooler temperatures and higher rainfall than nearby lowland regions. The owl usually lives along the edges of clearings surrounded by moist or swampy land, generally with a water source nearby. It nests in old woodpecker holes, often those of the great spotted woodpecker.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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