Sparrow owl - description, habitat, interesting facts

Today we are considering a representative of a feathered family - a sparrow owl. According to its overall characteristics, it is slightly smaller than owls, it is kept in various nurseries and bred for sale. But to get such a pet at home will be quite difficult, because not everyone wants to bother with rearing and care because of the difficulties in keeping it. Today we will study everything that affects feathered representatives of the family and highlight the main features.

Description

1. We have already mentioned that in terms of their overall characteristics, the birds are small. They grow to a maximum of 20 cm. But most often, individuals are found even less. The mass of the hull hardly reaches 80 cm, and the wingspan is 35 cm.
2. The head is rounded. Representatives of the family are not characterized by a feature in which there are owl ears on the head. They are necessary to attract the attention of individuals of opposite sex, these ears do not pick up sounds, owls do not.
3. The plumage is grayish in front with a light brownish pigment. The irises of the eyes are saturated, yellowish-brownish, however, as in all individuals from the category of owls. The eyes are large, expressive, set straight.
4. White feathers located around the circumference of the eyes give them even more expressiveness. These eyebrows only emphasize the attention to owls. These indicators do not affect the visual organs and acuity in particular. Representatives of the family are characterized by excellent hearing, it is this feature that allows owls to navigate in space.
5. The beak is yellow, the legs are shaggy, covered with thick plumage. Paws are decorated with bent claws, which the bird grabs prey. The individuals of the presented family can be different in color (dark brownish, yellowish, grayish, beige, etc.).
6. The wings are decorated with a white pattern. In the lower part, the steering wings are light, saturated with stripes of brownish hue. Small spots are visible 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 content problems. Based on the legislation of our country, it is forbidden 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 sure.
8. There is another subspecies of these birds, in particular we are talking about dwarf passerines. Adult birds hardly reach 15 cm in body dimensions. Moreover, their weight is only 50-60 g.

Habitat

1. In their natural environment, these birds live in Asia. They are also found in Scandinavia, California, Panama, Mexico, Central and Eastern Europe. Also, birds can be found in the vastness of our country and in Mongolia.
2. Individuals of the group under discussion prefer to live sedentary; they are not attracted to constant flights. Nevertheless, if the winter is too cold, then individuals living in the north will migrate to the southern parts for wintering. Birds settle in coniferous and mixed forests.
3. They occupy their territory, after which they carefully guard it, they do not like strangers. Try to hide and watch from deciduous trees for everything that happens 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 flying do not always get used to humans. The exception is individuals raised among people from chicks.
5. If a person still decides to have an owl, then he simply runs the risk of not coping with it. Individuals are very active, outgoing, can get sick. Not always there is a veterinarian nearby, capable of leading the pet to normal health. Also, these birds can not be called flexible, they need a spacious aviary. Cellular content is not suitable due to the small amount of room for maneuvers.
6. We have already mentioned that it is quite difficult to acquire this representative of the family. Not all breeders, even the most experienced, can afford to care for owls. It is difficult, with some nuances. If you decide to acquire such a bird, then it is recommended to give preference to the cod or squirrel owl.
7. Since the bird is rare, the pricing policy for it is high. If we add to this a complete lack of knowledge on care and maintenance, the bird will die soon enough. This usually happens due to insufficient diet, lack of nutrients in the body of the pet.

Breeding

1. The presented individuals belong to monogamous pairs. Adults remain together for the rest of their lives. As soon as the end of the winter season comes, the mating season begins for the birds under consideration. You can also watch various games and courtship. Single males try their best to attract the attention of females.
2. Cavaliers during the mating season begin to sing very beautifully. Thus, they make a positive impression on the chosen ones. Often the place for mating is the platform, which is located near the future nest.
3. Moreover, at such a time, musical numbers from the males can flow for several hours. Owls fall silent only at dusk. Even in cloudy weather, males try to attract their future companions in every possible way.
4. It is worth noting that the cry of the individuals under consideration is not so muffled, unlike owls. The tone of the song is a bit like sparrows tweet. In this case, you can hear some whispering. Because of this, a whistle is heard for several kilometers.
5. The mating season ends in late spring. The height of the current of individuals falls in mid-April. At the same time, individuals look for a nesting place. Often it is the males that offer nesting in old nests.
6. The bottom line is that the birds in question are strongly attached to their surroundings. Therefore, owls try to stay in their native territory almost all their lives. If the chosen one is happy with everything, and she is ready to continue the clan in such a nest, the individuals begin to restore order in their home.
7. Often, the female for one clutch brings up to 7 white eggs. Their size is small. The female is engaged in hatching and rearing of young animals. All this time, the male carefully guards the territory and feeds his family. At the same time, the owl brings food to the nest every 2 hours.
8. In the wild, the individuals in question live for many years. Moreover, almost throughout their lives, owls have excellent health. There are frequent cases when individuals die even as chicks. Unfortunately, at a young age, even parents are not able to protect young animals from fatal diseases.

Food

1. It is worth noting the amazing fact that in the wild, the presented individuals have quite extensive hunting territories. Their area can reach up to 5 km2. Such birds are small, despite the fact that they belong to predatory individuals. Because of this, owls are simply not able to hunt large prey.
2. Often, the considered individuals choose small birds and all kinds of small rodents as victims. The interesting thing is that owls eat only the head of prey. Because of this, they are considered foodies 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 prefer to eat pre-prepared stocks. Adults feed young animals exclusively with insects. Moreover, if the young growth has already taken to the wing, they can grab 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 plant seeds, fruits, cereals and vegetables as food. Keep in mind that a professional veterinarian should be involved in creating a balanced diet. However, most of these individuals prefer freshly killed small birds.

Diseases

1. In fact, there is a fairly extensive list of ailments that an owl can catch. Some diseases in individuals appear immediately after birth, while the mother can not do anything about it. If a healthy chick stops eating well over time and refuses to play, take him to the vet immediately.
2. Before starting an individual of this kind, it is worth noting that birds are quite rare and it will be difficult to find a professional specialist. If the disease does not present any complications, the doctor will prescribe a course of treatment. It happens that the doctor is not able to determine the pathology, it is worth relying only on the immunity of the bird.
3. Often, when kept in captivity, owls get sick. Such phenomena occur due to improper content. That is why it is very important to draw up a proper and balanced diet. Some products are simply contraindicated for such individuals.

Today you learned everything about an interesting little representative of an owl family. These birds are common in wooded areas with conifers or deciduous trees. They are protected by law, so hunting individuals 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: Sparrow Owl (Glaucidium passerinum)