Bird of month - The Little Owl

We have several owls in our valley, Tawny Owls breed and Barn Owls are also present in small numbers, but perhaps the most charismatic owl is the Little Owl. It was an introduced species many years ago but has now established itself as a widespread species in England and is fairly easy to find in areas of good parkland with large old deciduous trees with holes. During daytime they tend to sit around on a branch or a fence post or stone wall doing little. They will choose the same spot day after day or another very close by. Most activity takes place from dusk to dawn when they feed by launching silently from their perch onto prey below. They are capable of chasing prey and will also catch flying insects on the wing and hover showing great flexibility. In the spring they are used to feeding on small birds but they will take small rodents and other vertebrate and invertebrate prey all year round.

The Little Owl is the smallest Owl in the country, has no ear tufts, and is only just over 20cm tall. This is about half the size of a Tawny Owl and two-thirds the size of a Barn Owl. It is brown with spotted upper parts, buff under parts splashed with brown and has quite long yellow legs.  When flying the chunky nature of its body and rounded wings tend to give it away and the fact it flies low and with a series of flaps and bounds from one tree or perch to another. It is also often seen flying in daytime, unlike the Tawny Owl. The call of the Little Owl is often the best way to identify its existence in an area, the most common call being a sharp ‘kweew’, repeated infrequently and believed to be a contact call.

Finding an owl is always a special moment and the best chance to see the Little Owl is likely to be in the hedgerow near the Moor Green Lakes car park or in Swallowfield Park, which is not normally open to visitors. On a walk with the Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust last Spring we saw one in an old broken tree at the entrance to Swallowfield Park and I have seen them in that area many times. There are three times more Tawny Owls than Little Owls in the UK.

Please let the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership know if you see a Little Owl by entering details on this website and if you find one in another location in the valley we would be delighted to hear about it.

Colin Wilson

Berkshire Ornithological Club
www.berksoc.org.uk            

Back to October in the Valley  >>>

October sightings  >>>