Little Owl
- The little owl is much the smallest owl to be found in Britain: it weighs a third as much as a tawny owl
- There are, however, much smaller owls to be found in Europe. Both the scops owl and the pygmy owl are considerably lighter and daintier.
- It is not a native to Britain, though it occurs naturally right up to the French coast of the English Channel.
- It was successfully introduced to Britain by two landowners: Col. E.G.B.Meade-Waldo at Stonewall Park, near Edenbridge in Kent (in 1874), and the 4th Lord Lilford at Lilford Hall, Oundle in Northamptonshire from 1889.
- So successful was Lord Lilford’s introduction that for a while the birds were known in England as Lilford’s owl.
- Lord Lilford collected the birds he released in England from Holland, liberating a number of birds over several years.
- By about 1925 the little owl’s range extended as far north as Lancashire and Yorkshire.
- The bird’s successful colonisation of England and Wales is explained by the fact that there was an empty niche in our countryside for a largely insectivorous small bird of prey.
- Holes in trees are the favoured nest sites, but nest boxes are adopted readily.
- The clutch of between two and five white eggs is generally laid in late March or early April, with incubation taking 7-28 days.
- Though the young are not fully fledged until about 35 days, they often leave the nest some days earlier, perching on nearby branches.
- Most young birds disperse in the autumn, usually settling within 20km of their birthplace.
- Adults are sedentary, remaining in their territory throughout the year. The pairs maintain a life-long bond.
- Like most owls, they are noisy birds, with a wide variety of calls, and they can often be heard during the day.
- Though most active between dawn and dusk, they can often be seen about during the day, often in full daylight, though they seldom hunt in the day.
- The undulating flight on short, rounded wings is highly distinctive and unlike any of our other owls.
- Though insects and small rodents form the bulk of their food, they do take a wide variety of prey, including roosting small birds and even amphibians.
- Much of their hunting is done on foot, with the birds running actively to capture their prey.
- They were first introduced to New Zealand in 1906, and soon became established on South Island, where they can still be found today.
- In Greek mythology, the little owl was the bird sacred to Pallas Athene, the goddess of wisdom.
- The connection to Greek mythology is celebrated in the bird’s Latin name, Athene noctua.
