1. Little owl – Athene noctua
Little owl is a small owl with a body length of 23-27 cm, a wingspan of 55-60 cm, and a weight of 150-200 g. In an adult, the plumage is dark gray, with white spots on the head and chest. Males have a distinctive bang on their heads. The little owl has big eyes that can see well in the dark. The beak is short and sharp.
Owl is common in Europe, Asia and Africa. In Ukraine, it nests throughout the territory, except for the Crimea.
Little owl is a settled bird. It lives in forests, parks, gardens and other places with dense shrubs. Little owl nests in tree hollows, niches in the walls of houses or other shelters. There are 4-6 eggs in a nest of a little owl. The eggs are incubated by the female and the male in turn. Chicks hatch after 28-30 days. After hatching, the chicks grow quickly and begin to fly after a few weeks.
Little owl feeds on small rodents, birds, insects and other invertebrates.
Little owl is a fairly common species, but in some regions its number is decreasing. The reasons for this are the destruction of habitats, poaching and the death of chicks from domestic animals.
In Ukraine, the little owl is listed in the Red Book in the status of "Unappreciated".
Photo: Volodymyr Kucherenko