- Athene noctua
Identification
Back and wings are a deep grey-brown, spotted with white. The underside is white with broad, broken streaks of grey-brown.
The face is marked by dark areas around the yellow eyes.
Distribution
Taxonomy
Habitat
Farmland with hedgrows, copses and scattered trees, also rocky hillsides and semideserts. Particularly fond of old orchards and pollarded trees affording nest holes.
Behaviour
Diet includes small mammals, such as mice, voles, shrews, even small rabbits, as well as insects, earthworms, snails, slugs and small fish.
They nest in tree holes, pollarded willows, walls of old buildings, rabbit burrows and cliff holes. The female lays 3-5 eggs in early May and incubates the eggs for 29 days. Only the male feeds the chicks at first, but later the female helps. After 26 days, the chicks leave the nest.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Athene noctua (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
