Pygmy owl - description, habitat, interesting facts

Today we are considering a representative of the feathered family - the pygmy owl. It is in its overall characteristics slightly less owls, is contained in various nurseries and is bred for sale. But to get such a pet yourself home will be quite difficult, because due to the complexity of the content, not everyone wants to bother with the cultivation and care. Today we will study everything that affects the feathered representatives of the family and highlight the main features.

Description

1. We have already mentioned that in their overall characteristics the birds are small. They grow to a maximum of 20 cm. But most often there are even less individuals. The mass of the hull hardly reaches 80 cm, and in wingspan the figures are 35 cm.
2. The head is rounded. For representatives of the family is not characteristic feature, in which there are on the head owl's ears.They are necessary to attract the attention of individuals of opposite sex, these ears do not catch sounds, owls do not have them.
3. Front plumage is grayish with a light brownish pigment. The iris of the eyes is saturated, yellowish-brownish, however, like all individuals from the owl category. The eyes are large, expressive, set straight.
4. White feathers, which are located around the circumference of the eyes, give them even more expressiveness. These edges only emphasize the attention to the owls. These indicators do not affect the visual organs and the severity in particular. Representatives of the family is characterized by excellent hearing, it is this feature that allows owls to navigate in space.
5. The beak is yellow, the paws are shaggy, covered with thick plumage. Paws are decorated with curved claws, which the bird grabs prey. Individuals of the represented family may be different in color (dark brownish, yellowish, greyish, beige, etc.).
6. Wings are decorated with white pattern. In the lower part of the steering wings are bright, saturated with stripes of brownish hue. Small specks appear in the chest area. On the tail there are gray or brown elongated lines.
7. These birds are considered rare, so it will be difficult to acquire them. People do not bother with breeding due to problems with the content. On the basis of the legislation of our country it is prohibited to hunt these birds, they are listed in the Red Book. Since the bird leads a hidden lifestyle, it is not possible to study it for certain.
8. There is another subspecies of these birds, in particular, we are talking about pygmy owls gnomes. Adult birds, in terms of their overall characteristics, hardly reach 15 cm in body length. Moreover, their weight is only 50-60 grams.

Habitat

1. In their natural environment, these birds live in Asia. They are also met in Scandinavia, California, Panama, Mexico, Central and Eastern Europe. Also, birds can be found in the open spaces of our country and in Mongolia.
2. Individuals of the group in question prefer to live sedentary, they are not tempted by constant flights. However, if the winter is too cold, the individuals living in the north will migrate to the southern parts for the winter. Birds settle in coniferous and mixed forests.
3. They occupy their territory, after which they carefully guard it, do not like strangers. They try to hide and watch from the deciduous trees for everything happening around.Birds hunt at night, as well as in cloudy weather, when the sun only rises.
4. People like these individuals, so they do their best to make them domesticated. However, birds accustomed to free life and flight do not always get used to the person. The exceptions are individuals who grew up among people from the nestling age.
5. If a person still decides to start a owl, then simply runs the risk of not cope with it. Individuals are very active, sociable, can hurt. There is not always a veterinarian nearby who can lead a pet to a normal state of health. Also, these birds can not be appeasable, they need a spacious aviary. Cellular content is not suitable because of the small amount of space for maneuvers.
6. We have already mentioned that it is quite difficult to acquire this member of the family. Not all breeders, even the most experienced, can afford caring for owls. It is difficult, with some nuances. If you decide to acquire such a bird, then it is recommended to give preference to a splushka or a owl to the roach.
7. Since the bird is rare, then its price policy is high. If we add to this the complete lack of knowledge on care and maintenance, the bird will die rather soon.Usually this happens due to insufficient diet, lack of nutrients in the body of the pet.

Breeding

1. The individuals represented are monogamous couples. Adults remain together until the end of life. As soon as the winter season ends, the birds in question begin the mating season. You can also watch various games and courtship. Single males are trying in every way to attract the attention of females.
2. The gentlemen during the mating season begin to sing very nicely. Thus, they produce a positive impression on the chosen one. Often a place for mating games is a platform, which is located near the future nest.
3. At the same time at such a time musical numbers from the males can flow for several hours. The owls fall silent only after dusk. Even in cloudy weather, the males are trying in every way to attract their future companions.
4. It is worth noting that in the individuals in question the cry is not so muffled, in contrast to the owls. The tone of singing is a bit like sparrows chirping. In this case, you can hear some whispering.Because of this, you can hear the whistle for a few kilometers.
5. The duration of the marriage period ends at the end of spring. The height of the tokens of individuals falls in the middle of April. At the same time, individuals look for a nesting site. Quite often males suggest nesting in old nests.
6. The bottom line is that the birds in question are strongly attached to their surroundings. Therefore, the owls are trying to stay in their native territory for almost a lifetime. If the chosen one is satisfied with everything, and she is ready to continue the race in such a nest, the individuals begin to restore order in their home.
7. Often the female for one laying brings up to 7 white eggs. They have a small size. The female is engaged in the hatching and raising of young stock. All this time, the male carefully protects the territory and feeds his family. In this case, the owl brings food to the nest every 2 hours.
8. In the wild, the individuals in question have lived for many years. At the same time, almost throughout their lives, the owls have excellent health. It is not uncommon for individuals to die even when they are chicks. Unfortunately, at a young age even parents cannot protect young animals from deadly diseases.

Nutrition

1. It is worth noting the surprising fact that in the wild, the represented individuals have rather extensive hunting territories. Their area can reach up to 5 km2. Such birds are small in size, despite the fact that they belong to predatory individuals. Because of this, owls simply can not hunt large prey.
2. Often, as victims, the individuals in question choose small birds and all sorts of small rodents. What remains interesting is that the owls eat only the head of prey. Because of this, they are considered gourmets in a sense. The rest of the victim's body simply remains to rot.
3. As soon as the cold season begins, the individuals in question are preferred to feed on pre-prepared stocks. Adults feed young animals exclusively with insects. Moreover, if the young are already on the wing, they are capable of grabbing such prey already on the fly. They have a very well developed dexterity.
4. If you are going to keep these individuals at home, you can give them various seeds of plants, fruits, cereals and vegetables as feed.Consider that a professional veterinarian should be engaged in the preparation of a balanced diet. However, most of all such individuals prefer freshly whipped little birds.

Diseases

1. In fact, there is a rather extensive list of ailments that an owl can catch. Some diseases in individuals appear immediately after birth, while the mother can do nothing about it. If a healthy chick eventually stops eating well and refuses to play, immediately take him to the vet.
2. Before you start an individual of this type, it is worth noting that birds are quite rare and it will be difficult to find a professional specialist. If the disease presents no complications, the doctor will prescribe a course of treatment. It happens, the doctor is unable to determine the pathology, then you should only rely on the immunity of the bird.
3. Often, when kept in captivity, the owls get sick. Such phenomena are due to improper content. That is why it is very important to make a correct and balanced diet. Some products are simply not recommended for such individuals.

Today you learned all about an interesting little representative of the owl family. These birds are common in a wooded area with coniferous or deciduous trees. They are protected by law, so hunting is prohibited. If a person wants to buy a bird as a pet, you will need to try to find a suitable breeder. Difficulties with the content are definitely present and must be taken into account.

Video: pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum)