This is a sedentary species, resident throughout the year in its range. This Starling-sizedbird hunts at dawn and dusk, rather than in total darkness.
Note that it is illegal in many countries to handle wild birds without a licence. The hand in the picture on this page is that of a licensed bird ringer.
The EurasianPygmyOwl was classified in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778), the Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organise plants and animals.
EurasianPygmyOwls are expressive birds - When excited, one will cock its tail, flicking it from side to side.
PygmyOwls are one of the few species that don't start incubation until the last egg is laid.
Some owls of this genus are well known, such as the eastern screech owl of eastern North America and the Eurasian scops owl, a strongly migratory species that breeds in southern Europe as far east as Lake Baikal.
Smallest of the family are the elf owl of the south-western United States and Mexico—it is only 13 cm (5 in) long, and nests in deserted woodpecker holes in large cacti—and the Eurasianpygmyowl, 16 cm (6.5 in) long.
The eastern screech owl is classified as Otus asio, and the Eurasian scops owl as Otus scops.
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