Eurasian Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium passerinum
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Glaucidium passerinum
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Mass
~60 g
Habitat
Forests
Diet
Small vertebrates
How to recognize it
The Eurasian Pygmy-Owl is very small and compact, and it does not look heavy or especially owl-like at first glance. Its round head, yellow eyes, and short shape make it seem neat rather than bulky, and the little ear tufts are usually hard to notice.
It is active by day and at dusk, with the evening being the liveliest time. The male can keep up a long, steady whistle near the nesting area, and in winter it often caches food and returns to it later.
It lives in conifer forests, especially in mountain and taiga areas with tree cavities. It feeds mainly on small rodents and small songbirds, sometimes insects too; in harsh winters adults may move south, while young ones wander in autumn and winter.
Did you know?
An owl that hunts in daylight
A weak facial disc and rather small eyes mark this as a crepuscular owl, not a strictly nocturnal one — and indeed, in dark spruce forests the Pygmy Owl will hunt in broad daylight.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
The Eurasian Pygmy-Owl is very small and compact, and it does not look heavy or especially owl-like at first glance. Its round head, yellow eyes, and short shape make it seem neat rather than bulky, and the little ear tufts are usually hard to notice.
It is active by day and at dusk, with the evening being the liveliest time. The male can keep up a long, steady whistle near the nesting area, and in winter it often caches food and returns to it later.
It lives in conifer forests, especially in mountain and taiga areas with tree cavities. It feeds mainly on small rodents and small songbirds, sometimes insects too; in harsh winters adults may move south, while young ones wander in autumn and winter.
Did you know?
An owl that hunts in daylight
A weak facial disc and rather small eyes mark this as a crepuscular owl, not a strictly nocturnal one — and indeed, in dark spruce forests the Pygmy Owl will hunt in broad daylight.
How to recognize it
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Glaucidium passerinum Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Eurasian pygmy owl Encyclopedia article