The little owl belongs to the genus Owl, family Owl. This genus includes two more species that are not found in our area; their photos and short description are given at the bottom of the article.
Little owl 
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl.
Lifestyle
The peculiarity of these birds is quite small size body - about 30 cm, whose weight is approximately 180 g. Another feature of the little owl is its quiet maneuverable flight, thanks to which the bird can quietly approach a prey that is unaware of the danger.
The little owl has excellent eyesight and hearing. Since the bird is unable to rotate its eyes, it must always look forward in front of it. This disadvantage is compensated by the high flexibility and mobility of the neck. This is why owls can turn their heads 270 degrees.
Its lifestyle is nocturnal, however, the greatest activity is in the early morning or late evening, so it will not be so easy to take a photo of it. The little owl, like most wild birds, tries to avoid the company of people. If danger arises, little owl starts to sway in different sides, and at the moment of fright, it suddenly soars into the air and flies very low above the ground.
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl in the rain. 
The little owl "pouted". 
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl: night photo. Appearance
The bird is 22 to 28 cm in size, 54-58 cm in wingspan, weighing 150-170 grams. This type It has dense plumage, a large head without feathered “ears” and a short beak. The color of the little owl's eyes is bright yellow. The bird has powerful long legs with curved sharp claws. The color of representatives of this species is light brown with white speckles. The front part of the body is white with brown longitudinal stripes. The back can also be sand-colored; on the shoulder part the feathers are white with a pattern in the form of rounded spots. The facial disc of the little owl is poorly expressed.
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl. Spreading
The little owl is common in North Africa, Europe, and Asia. In Russia, it can be found in Altai, Tuva, Transbaikalia, as well as in cities and regions of the western part of the country. The little owl prefers to nest near residential areas, in various buildings. In the wild, it lives in desert areas and steppes, settling in burrows, among stones, etc. Also found in rural areas. This species leads a sedentary lifestyle, easily enduring the winter period.
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl. 
Little owl. Reproduction
Sexual dimorphism is practically not expressed externally. Judging by the photo, females and males of the little owl do not differ in size.
The mating season for little owls begins in March. Mating ceremonies involve singing performances by the males. Representatives of this species are monogamous. They make nests in various shelters - be it an abandoned building, an old well, a cliff, a small cave, etc. In the usual sense, the little owl does not build nests. Only occasionally can he bring grass or stems, arranging the litter.
One clutch consists of 4-8 eggs, the incubation period varies from 25 to 28 days, the chicks fly out of the nest for 4-5 weeks.
While the female is incubating the clutch, the male provides her with food. Newly hatched chicks weigh about 10 grams, their body is covered with light white fluff. The chicks' eyes open on about the tenth day. This is because the owlets do not need to see while they are in the nests in complete darkness. After a month, the owlets gain the weight of an adult bird. They begin to fly five weeks after birth and then leave their nests. Little owls have only one clutch per year; pairs stay together all summer.
A little owl flies with prey to the nest. 
A little owl with prey flew to the nest. 
A little owl with prey flew to the nest. 
A little owl chick demands food. 
A family of little owls. 
Young little owl. 
Young little owls have recently begun to leave the nest. Nutrition
The diet of the little owl consists mainly of small rodents, insects, lizards, and sometimes birds. The search for food occurs mainly at night. During the day, the owl feeds on insects. At night, its prey can be mice, larks and other animals that are unable to see in the dark. If the hunt turns out to be rich in catch, the owl leaves some food for later. Owls often hunt in pairs, and in such cases they can cope with larger animals, for example, rats, weasels, jerboas, etc.
Little owl with prey. 
The little owl caught the caterpillar. Other types of owls
The genus of owls includes three species. In addition to the little owl, it also includes the brahminy owl (Athene brama) and the rabbit owl (Athene cunicularia)
Photo of a Brahmin's owl
The Brahmin owl is a native of South Asia. Likes to settle near human settlements; the species is very numerous. The English name for the bird is "spotted owlet".
A pair of Brahmin owls. 
Photo of a rabbit owl
The short-legged owl is a small, long-legged owl that lives in the Northern and South America. This species of owl is found in dry places with low vegetation, such as fields, pastures and other dry places with low vegetation. It settles in burrows and feeds mainly on beetles.
Rabbit owl in flight. 
Rabbit owl on the ground. 
A pair of rabbit owls at the nest. The owl is a small bird of the owl family that has an extraordinary appearance. Due to the presence of specific projections, the so-called eyebrows, the bird has serious look. On the head round shape there are huge eyes. The bird has a small body and a short tail. The wings and legs of small owls are different for each type.
But despite the cute appearance, they have a bad reputation among the people. It is believed that with their whistle they foretell death. What is an owl colloquial speech? Quite often this concept is used to define a closed and gloomy person.
Owl - a bird with a serious appearance and a plaintive cry
In our country, this bird is found quite often. Like their relatives - owls, they are predominantly nocturnal and, thanks to their color, are perfectly camouflaged in the tops of trees. But, unlike owls, they feel comfortable not only late at night, but also in the early evening. In the place where they live, after sunset you can hear a plaintive whistle.
On average, the size of a representative of the owl family reaches up to 30 centimeters, and body weight does not exceed 100–200 grams.
Birds are divided into several main types:
Each species, in turn, is divided into subspecies, which differ in size, habitat, and also have some differences in external characteristics. The most common species of small owls in our country is the little owl.
Owl habitat
These small birds inhabit almost all continents of the earth and their appearance is the same in all habitats. They are characterized by a sedentary lifestyle.
Birds settle in the steppe zone, deserts, and can take a liking to dense forests. Some species, for example, the little owl, can live close to humans, making nests in abandoned buildings and even under the roofs of houses.
Most often, these birds take over other people's nests, hollows and even burrows.
In Italy and Austria There have often been cases where people managed to tame owls. Their wings were clipped and they were allowed into the garden to exterminate rodents and small insects. Even small owls were used during hunting as a kind of bait. In our country, it is believed that whoever tame an owl will incur a hard fate.
Owls are professional hunters
Owls are very good hunters. They can track their prey for a long time and, as soon as it stops, grab it in a matter of seconds.
The diet of little owls is not very varied:
- Small mammals.
- Insects.
- Small birds.
Such a representative of the genus as owl - elf, is exclusively insectivorous and is capable of eating even spiders and scorpions.
Sparrow owl It can also hunt small birds. When the prey is caught, the pygmy owl carefully plucks it, eating the most delicious pieces.
An interesting fact is that some species of these small owls store food for future use, storing it in their place of residence.
Thanks to this unique diet, owls are one of the main defenders of gardens and vegetable gardens.
Breeding owls
Owls are monogamous birds. Pairs are created with one, very rarely two, females and live like this all their lives. At the age of one year, the birds are ready to mate. This usually happens with the onset of spring. In April, the female lays up to 5 eggs. During the brooding period, most males hunt to obtain food for the female.
Representatives of owls - elves replace the female, sitting on the eggs themselves, giving her the opportunity to hunt on her own. After a month, small chicks appear. At first they are covered with down and blind. But they grow quite quickly. By a month or two, they can reach the size of their parents and get their own food.
The average lifespan of a bird is 15 years.
Owl bird- This is a nocturnal bird. Dark, mystical and evil actions have long been attributed to all animals and birds that prefer to be nocturnal.
Signs associated with the owl bird also not particularly joyful and bright. Why this happens still remains a mystery. Probably the reason for everything is the night life of the bird.
After all, everything that happens and happens in the clear sun is significantly different from at night. The night contains many mysteries associated more with dark side.
If owls have long been accustomed to these sounds, then the appearance of a bird in daytime It just horrified people. The Romans set themselves the goal of catching and destroying a bird lost in time because it allegedly brought trouble upon them.
The Scots and other peoples still hold the same opinion. European countries. A bird landing on the cross promised change for the parishioners. Either their priest changed, or there was a fire.
Oddly enough, many events were interconnected. It is still unknown whether this is a wild coincidence or whether the owl really has some kind of mystical gift.
Features and habitat
This interesting bird is classified as an owl. It is small in size. It weighs no more than 180 g, and grows no more than 28 cm in length. The wingspan reaches about 59 cm.
There are practically no differences between females and males, the only thing is that the former are usually larger than the second. They have dense plumage and a fairly wide head. They do not have feathered ears. The small yellow beak does not stand out too much.
Eyes decorated with iris yellow color, they are fixed in the eye socket. In order to see something from the side, the owl needs to turn its head. have the ability to look over their shoulders. They have well-developed long-distance vision. They can't see anything too close.
The plumage of owls is brown with white spaces. There are more white shades on the abdomen. The bird's claws are black and brown. The owl bird looks one might say somewhat intimidating.
This is not only because mystical and dark properties were attributed to it. All of him appearance not very pleasant. The owl is gloomy and has a prickly, piercing gaze.
Great Sparrow Owl
You can find these in many places. They live in the center and south of Europe, north Africa, and Asia. Owls prefer open areas. They are comfortable in the mountains and on the plains. They are not afraid of arid desert places either.
Character and lifestyle
Owl - night bird leads a sedentary lifestyle. Among them there are some species that can periodically change their habitat, but there are very few of them in nature.
The bird can fly quietly and maneuverably, which helps it in hunting. Victims sometimes do not notice how these birds fly up to them. Owls have excellent eyesight and hearing.
Although they cannot turn their eyeballs to see what is happening from the side, they are perfectly helped in this by a rather flexible neck, capable of rotating 270 degrees.
Owls are active very early in the morning or late at night. They are quite cautious and never let people get close to them. In dangerous moments, owls begin to bow and sway in an interesting manner.
The frightened bird instantly flies away and begins to hover low above the ground. Owls choose to hunt at night and only sometimes can afford to hunt during the day. They rest in hollows or among rocks.
Great Sparrow Owl somewhat different from its relatives. He doesn't even fly like them. All this happens with amazing speed and swiftness. The bird is helped by wide wings and a long tail.
The owl manages to easily fly between branches without catching them even in dense forest plantations. In pursuit of its potential victim, the bird does not slow down its accelerated flight even when turning. After reaching the goal and catching small rodents or birds, the owl returns with them in its claws.
All owls are prudent. They prepare food for themselves for future use. They begin to do this in the fall and in terms of food before the onset of cold weather they are always ready.
The same pair of these birds can have the same nest for a long time. They build nests for themselves in coniferous trees, if their habitat is forest.
Sometimes they can take over an abandoned woodpecker nest without any hesitation. Owls can also settle in the attic of a residential building, in a hole, in a well, or simply among brushwood. Great-footed owl, for example, he builds his hollow in big cactus.
Many people are familiar how the owl bird screams. But not everyone manages to see it due to the bird’s hidden lifestyle and its excellent ability to camouflage.
Nutrition
In order to get food for themselves, owls have to hunt. At the same time, they act in pairs and harmoniously. Owls can thus easily defeat gray rats, which are famous for their incredibly evil character.
Important feature What makes these birds special is that they hunt underground. Therefore, it is very difficult for gerbils to escape from them.
Underground hunting sometimes has a negative impact on the condition of bird feathers. They can be combed in the area of the head and back. Sometimes, instead of them, owls simply have needles sticking out.
The bird menu is very diverse. Its changes occur due to the taste of birds and the presence of one or another prey. For some owls, their favorite food is dung beetles. Others get incredible pleasure from eating mice, while others prefer phalanx spiders.
Reproduction and lifespan
The question of finding a match for little owls becomes relevant even in winter. Until the month of May, males sing songs, thus trying to attract the attention of the females they like.
The whistle, alternating with an interesting trill, eventually becomes noticed by the female and they form a pair. After which the couple works together to improve their family nest. As soon as the nest becomes habitable, the female immediately lays 2-3 white eggs. This usually takes her several days.
The female has to incubate the laid eggs for about a month. All this time she tirelessly does only this and can only leave her future offspring once a day.
During incubation, the male owl takes on the responsibility and carefully takes care of the female, bringing her food. After the babies appear, the female feeds them with what the head of the family found.
The development and growth of the offspring is quite intensive and already at 12 months of age the chicks are ready for independent life, the duration of which is about 15 years.
OWL, -a, m. 1. Night duck of the owl squad. 2. transfer A gloomy and unsociable person (colloquial). Owl someone lives. || adj. owl, -aya. -oe (to 1 value).
View value OWL in other dictionaries
Owl- m. owl, from a greater thrush, Scops. Ominous Owl. fowl's nest with owls, unit. including owl and little owl, southern. Owl Wed Evka f. abusive hag, hrychevka, evil woman. Sit down (stroke,........
Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
Owl- owl, m. A nocturnal or twilight bird of prey from the owl family. || trans. About a person who has fallen into a gloomy, gloomy mood (colloquial).
Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Owl- -A; m. Night or crepuscular bird of the order of owls.
◊ Old owl. Branno. About an old man. Owl (like an owl) look (look, sit). To be gloomy, gloomy; have a gloomy,........
Kuznetsov's Explanatory Dictionary
Sych, Vitaly Fedorovich— Head of the department general biology and histology of Ulyanovsk State University since 1996; graduated from graduate school at the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 1975, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor,........
Sych, Evgeniy Yurievich- (b. 1949).
Rus. owls prose writer Genus. in Krasnovodsk (now Turkmenistan). Lives in Krasnoyarsk.
NF production S., one of the “graduates” of the seminar in Maleevka, was compiled.........
Large biographical encyclopedia
An owl is a small owl. However, she has her own characteristics, which are quite interesting. We invite you to get to know this representative of the animal world better.
Appearance of owls
Owl is a common name that includes several genera. These include different kinds small owls living in forests. The owl is a bird with an unusual appearance. She has a large head, as well as large round eyes with special protrusions located above them that resemble black upturned eyebrows. In addition, she, like the barn owl, has a noticeably pronounced facial corolla. It looks like a mask on a bird like an owl. This, combined with the eyebrows, gives her a serious look. Her name is serious too.
Name "owl"
We hope you know how to spell "owl"? Of course, without soft sign. However, not everyone knows where this name came from. With an owl in modern speech It is common to compare a lonely and gloomy person. But this word originally comes from similar words meaning “whistle”. Most often, owls make whistling sounds, breaking the stereotype about the “hooting” of owls. This bird in Kyrgyzstan is called “baikush”, which means “beggar” or “poor”, precisely because of its sad cry. However, in other habits the owl is still close to representatives of owls. Just like them, he is a night hunter.
Is it easy to meet an owl?
The owl feeds on various rodents and sometimes eats small birds. It can be distinguished from owls by the absence of ear-like feathers. It is not so easy for a person to notice this bird in the forest. The fact is that the owl is seen very rarely. In addition, this bird is “camouflaged” in the crown of trees by its variegated coloring. Most often you can meet an owl in the taiga. However, some species, in particular the house owl (brownie), settle near people, sometimes in residential buildings. All species are similar in appearance.
Genera and species of owls
Among the species of the genus Athene, sometimes called the genus of Sirines, the following can be noted: the little owl (pictured above), spotted or brahminy, forest, rabbit, Indian. The latter is an extremely rare species. It was even listed as an extinct bird by the IUCN. However, some ornithologists believe that it still exists, although it is very rare.
Types of rough-footed owls: common, South American rough-footed, Mexican rough-footed, Nova Scotia rough-footed. The more common name for the latter is American. Sometimes ornithologists classify the Mexican and South American species as this one species.
26 species belong to the genus of passerine owls: tawny passerine, collared, cape, cuckoo, dwarf owl, diminutive, nominate, pearl, jungle, Cuban, chestnut-backed, red-breasted, etc. They differ small in size, as well as a long tail, short wings and a contrasting pattern on the back of the head resembling eyes, due to which they were nicknamed “four-eyed”.
There is also a genus of elf owls. It includes the only kind called Micrathene whitneyi (pictured above). These birds began to be called elves because of their very small size - only 12-14 cm.
Spreading
Athene is the most common genus of owl. Its representatives inhabit Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. The little owl is found, for example, in the south and center of the European continent. In addition, it can be found in the northern regions of Africa, as well as throughout Asia, with the exception of the north. The habitat of owls in Russia covers the south and center of the European part, Southern Altai, Central Asia, Transbaikalia, as well as the nearest republics - Tuva, Kazakhstan. In South and North America There is another species of this genus - the rabbit owl.
Common owls spread throughout Eurasia. They are also found in Canada. The remaining 3 species live in various parts American continent (their names indicate this). In South and Central America, pygmy owls are especially common. They are found everywhere except Australia. And elf owls live in the USA, in the southwest, and in Mexico, where they sometimes inhabit huge hollows. They are not able to hollow out nests on their own due to their weak beak, which is why they settle in hollows or other people’s nests. Common owls Athene live in warm climates mainly in open steppe spaces, as well as semi-desert and desert ones. They can also live in the north next to humans or inhabit taiga forests. Coniferous forests, located both on the plains and in the mountains, are favored by tawny owls.
Lifestyle
Representatives of all genera lead. Only Athene individuals living in the highlands sometimes descend to the plains. These owls arrange their nests in various shelters, for which they can sometimes use piles of brushwood, burrows of other animals, roofs of buildings, walls of wells and even attics of houses. They are predominantly however forced to hunt in the north and on polar days. Thorn-footed owls are purely nocturnal and forest owls. They settle in hollows. Great owls nest mainly in mixed forests, and elves occupy free hollows. Only the behavior of elf owls of all genera differs from other representatives. They hunt only insects in the evenings, mornings and nights. These birds sometimes attack victims on the ground. They eat their prey in the nest.
Hunting and feeding of the brown owl
The hunting style of such a bird as the house owl is extremely diverse. She has strong flexor muscles on her fingers, so she can easily grab fairly large rodents. The brown owl hunts in the early morning, as well as from evening to midnight. He can watch the victim for a long time, and then, when he stops, attack him. Another way is to overtake their prey on the fly or, sometimes even while walking on the ground. You are, of course, interested to know what the brown owl eats. Its food is mainly rodents - voles, hamsters, brownies and the bats, jerboas. However, sometimes representatives of this species collect earthworms or eat insects, for example, dung beetles or ground beetles.
Sometimes they store food for future use. However, the real plush when it comes to food is the pygmy owl. Let's figure out what he eats.
What does the pygmy owl eat?
Its prey is birds and small rodents. This owl hides food reserves in a hollow in the fall, but it differs in the process of eating it. He never swallows his prey whole, but chooses the most tasty morsels. The pygmy owl carefully plucks the caught victims.
Prey of Boreal Owls
Rough-footed owls ambush the low altitude and hunt here. They will also fly over hunting areas, inspecting them carefully. These owls feed on mouse-like rodents and sometimes small birds. For example, they can catch ducklings near bodies of water. These birds swallow their food whole. They often regurgitate undigested remains, so the daytime "parking" of boreal owls can be detected by them.
Food of elf owls
Elf owls appear. They catch their prey both on the ground and in flight. The victims of elf owls include locusts, grasshoppers, fly larvae, moths, centipedes, caterpillars, cicadas, spiders and even scorpions. Therefore, all owls bring benefits to humans in one way or another.
Reproduction
With the onset of spring, the breeding season of owls begins. Males make mating calls at this time. The female lays eggs in early April. It usually contains 4 to 5 eggs with a grainy white shell. Owls incubate eggs for 28 days. The male feeds the female during incubation (this applies to the little owl). The chicks that are born are blind and very fluffy. However, after a month they almost reach the size of the body adult. The chicks become independent in August. As for hairy-footed animals, their reproduction process also occurs in April. These owls have a similar number of eggs in a clutch, but the shells are almost white. Other features of their reproduction are similar to the general genus of owls. The mating behavior of passerines is somewhat different. In these owls, the male begins to feed the female even before eggs are laid. After the chicks are born, the owl “cleans” its nest. She throws out all the accumulated garbage from there. Within a month, the chicks of this bird leave the nest. They rarely come back. During this period, the parents feed them close to the nest - where the chicks reveal themselves with a whistle-like cry. The male elf owl replaces the female during incubation when she goes hunting at night. The reproduction rate of these birds is the highest, since their nests are located in places inaccessible to predators.
Sychi village
Villages are often named after these interesting birds. One of them is especially famous. In the Perm region, in the Okhansky district, the village of Sychi is located. The healer Alexander Ivanovich, who lives here, is very popular. People even come to him from abroad. This 82-year-old man is said to cure various diseases. By the way, he receives only baptized people, and also conducts worship in his own small church.
And there is also a militiaman (call sign “Sych”) who regularly reports on events in the DPR. As you can see, the name of this bird is very popular.
