Little owl
Athene noctua
CommonPhoto: Frank Vassen from Brussels, Belgium · CC BY 2.0
Birdcarnivore
The little owl is a small, wide-eyed bird found across Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia. It’s named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, and was introduced to places like Britain and New Zealand by humans. Unlike many owls, it’s often active during the day, perching on fence posts or rocks.
- This owl was brought to Britain in the late 1800s by humans.
- It lives in open countryside, often near farms or villages.
- Its scientific name, Athene noctua, links it to the Greek goddess Athena.
ForestGrasslandFarmEuropeAfricaAsia
Read more on WikipediaAt a glance
- Classification
- Bird
- Scientific name
- Athene noctua
- Habitat
- Forest, Grassland, Farm
- Regions in this directory
- Europe, Africa, Asia
- Diet
- carnivore
- Relative size
- small
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (LC)