Little owl

The Little Owl is the smallest owl found in Belgium: it is only 22 to 24 cm long. Because of its thick plumage, it looks a bit bigger than it actually is. Its upper feathers are grayish-brown with large, white spots. The lower feathers are white with long, broad, brownish-gray stripes. The Little Owl has a broad, round head that is greyish-white with fine dark stripes. What stands out most are his yellow eyes and his low, white eyebrows. As a result, it seems like he's always frowning a little.

When sitting still, the Little Owl regularly "nods" with its whole body. He flies low to the ground, in undulating movements.

Little owls live in a semi-open landscape, such as meadows and small agricultural areas. There must be hedges and rows of trees nearby, because that's where these birds breed. They make their nests in cavities, pollard willows or fruit trees with a high trunk - but also sometimes in special nesting boxes, as here. They should have a lot of different hiding places because that will add variety to their menu. Little owls eat mice and small birds, as well as large insects and earthworms.

Little owls always live in pairs and stay in the same place throughout their lives. As a result, their territory is quite small: two pairs are sometimes only 500 meters apart. There are even places where a pair of Little Owls have been living for decades! If one of the two birds dies, another takes his or her place. The young of a pair of Little Owls usually don't fly that far from their parents' nest to find a new territory - as long as there is food to be found. You'd think they're house sparrows!

BibBeersel