BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Little Owl

LITTLE OWL
Athene noctua

• Population
changes

• Productivity
trends

• Additional
information

Conservation listings

Europe: SPEC category 3, declining
UK: not listed (introduced)

Long-term trend

UK, England: possible decline

UK population size

5,800–11,600 pairs in 2000 (1988–91 Atlas estimate updated using CBC/BBS trend: BiE04, APEP06)

Status summary

The CBC/BBS trend for Little Owl shows fluctuations but a downturn in recent seasons suggests a possible moderate decline long-term in the UK. Trends are poorly known, however, because the species has large territories and is difficult to detect except by dedicated surveys. A population estimate of c. 7,000 pairs from the BTO/Hawk & Owl Trust's Project Barn Owl (Toms et al. 2000) is the first replicable estimate for Little Owls in the UK. Although few nest records are available, there are no trends evident in productivity.

Population changes

Productivity trends

Insufficient data on laying dates
available for this species

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species

Additional information


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This report should be cited as: Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Crick, H.Q.P., Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Coombes, R.H., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. (2006) Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2005. BTO Research Report No. 435. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends) Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 28 April, 2006