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BTO Blueline
LITTLE OWL
Athene noctua
 Little Owl © Tommy Holden
 

• 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 very wide 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. No trends are evident in productivity, but few nest records are available.
 

Population changes
CBC/BBS UK graph
 
Table of population changes for Little Owl

Source Period
(yrs)		 Years Plots
(n)		 Change
(%)		 Lower
limit		 Upper
limit		 Alert Comment
CBC/BBS UK 38 1967-2005 52 -41 -64 -2 >25  
  25 1980-2005 65 -37 -57 -10 >25  
  10 1995-2005 110 -12 -23 6    
  5 2000-2005 104 -18 -32 -2    
CBC/BBS England 38 1967-2005 49 -31 -54 16    
  25 1980-2005 62 -28 -48 0    
  10 1995-2005 106 -8 -21 10    
  5 2000-2005 100 -14 -29 3    
BBS UK 10 1995-2005 95 -9 -24 11    
  5 2000-2005 100 -17 -31 -1    
BBS England 10 1995-2005 91 -6 -22 13    
  5 2000-2005 96 -13 -26 2    

BBS acknowledgement
 
CBC/BBS UK graph
BBS UK graph
BBS England graph
 

Productivity trends
Table of productivity changes for Little Owl

Variable Period
(yrs)		 Years Mean
annual
sample		 Trend Modelled
in first year		 Modelled
in 2005		 Change Comment
Clutch size 37 1968-2005 17 None       Small sample
Brood size 37 1968-2005 37 None        
Daily failure rate (eggs) 37 1968-2005 16 None       Small sample
Daily failure rate (chicks) 37 1968-2005 19 None       Small sample

 
Clutch size graph
Brood size graph
Egg nest failure graph
Chick nest failure graph

 

Insufficient data on laying dates
available for this species

 

 

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species

 
 

Additional information
BTO blue divider
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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., Barimore, C., Coombes, R.H.,
Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. & Thewlis, R.M. (2007)
Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2007.
BTO Research Report No. 487. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 3 January, 2008