Promoted
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
I was both thrilled and surprised to find this Little Owl high up in a tree in a park in the middle of London.
I was (successfully) stalking a Green Woodpecker at the time, when I spotted the owl through the lens of my camera.
The Little owl was introduced into the UK in the 19th century.
Although, like other Owls, it mostly hunts at night, unlike other Owls it seems to quite enjoy the midday sun, as long as it's safely ensconced high in a tree.
Much of their hunting is done on foot, running energetically to capture their prey, which might include small rodents, roosting small birds and even amphibians, to supplement their main diet of moths, beetles and earwigs. That's a sight I'd really like to witness.
However, this habit put them at risk of falling prey to foxes, badgers or larger raptors.
The Little Owl gets its scientific name from 'Pallas Athene', the the Greek Goddess of Wisdom to whom the Little Owl was sacred.
Alas no video with this photo.
The Little Owl is a bird which is resident in much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It is not native to Great Britain, but was first introduced in 1842, by Thomas Powys and is now naturalized there. It was also successfully introduced to the South Island of New Zealand in the early 20th century.
