Owls
Eurasian Pygmy-Owl
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Glaucidium passerinum
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Voice
Song
Max Karlsson
Song
Robert Petersen
Song
Robert Petersen
How to recognize it
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15–19 cm, like a small tit
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Dark reddish to greyish-brown above; white underparts with brown streaks
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White half-ring on the back of the neck
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Yellow eyes, short white brows, no ear tufts
About the species
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?
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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.
Where to find
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In mature conifer plantings with hollow trunks, especially at dawn, when the male’s thin whistle carries from the canopy.
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Along damp edges with ditches and low grass beside trees — it often perches motionless on a low branch before a short dash.
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Near nest boxes and old tree cavities in quiet courtyards at the wooded edge — at dusk, adults may fly in with prey.
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In winter around feeders close to spruce or pine stands — look for a tiny owl sitting still on a branch, waiting for tits or sparrows.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Glaucidium passerinum Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Eurasian pygmy owl Encyclopedia article