Little owl

    Athene noctua

Castilian: Mochuelo europeo

Catalan: Mussol comú

Gallego: Moucho

Euskera: Mozoloa

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Strigiformes

Family: Strigidae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

The alteration of its habitat does not affect it as much as it does other birds of prey, but being run over by vehicles and the use of toxic products in farming have caused a considerable number of deaths.

Length / size: 21-23 cm / 51-54 cm

Identification: Small bird of prey with a pudgy body and a rounded head. Its plumage is composed of brown and greyish colours with white spots; the area around its belly is lighter but is also mottled; its head has white spots and its large yellow eyes are enclosed by the white feathers found around the bill and forehead; its tail is short and visibly barred, just like its wings. It is partially diurnal and can be seen on posts or stumps.

Song: It makes a high-pitched and penetrating "keeoo" that sounds like a meow.

Diet: Its diet varies depending on the area. Further to the south, it usually includes invertebrates like beetles, moths, worms, and crickets; to the north it is usually vertebrates, such as rodents. It hunts by lying in wait from a perched position, although sometimes it searches for insects and worms on the ground.

Reproduction: It begins at the end of March with very noisy activity. The nest is located in a small depression, without any new material, in hollows that can be natural (hollow tree trunks) or man-made (dovecots, abandoned houses). The female incubates the eggs and, after they hatch, the male captures prey and the female tears it apart to feed the chicks.

HABITAT

It occupies places from river meadows to urban parks, grasslands and small woods, although it prefers more open areas, such as non-irrigated farmland, olive groves, meadows, etc.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It is distributed throughout practically all of the peninsula.

In Castile and León: It breeds in all the provinces.

Movements and migrations: It is a strictly sedentary species.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 40000 breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: There is an estimated population of 5000-8000 breeding pairs.