Wider Countryside Report Header
BTO Blueline
Main WCR menu image Site navigation menu item Results overview menu item Other info menu item BTO website menu item
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: probable 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 in the UK shows very wide variation, but a downturn in recent seasons suggests that a moderate long-term decline may lie behind the observed fluctuations. Trends are poorly known, however, because the species has large breeding territories and, being largely inactive during the day, 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 39 1967-2006 54 -46 -68 -12 >25  
  25 1981-2006 69 -46 -63 -29 >25  
  10 1996-2006 113 -20 -33 -7    
  5 2001-2006 101 -25 -39 -13 >25  
CBC/BBS England 39 1967-2006 51 -36 -61 14    
  25 1981-2006 66 -37 -55 -8 >25  
  10 1996-2006 109 -18 -31 -2    
  5 2001-2006 99 -22 -36 -7    
BBS UK 11 1995-2006 98 -17 -31 -1    
  10 1996-2006 101 -20 -33 -7    
  5 2001-2006 101 -24 -36 -9    
BBS England 11 1995-2006 95 -14 -29 2    
  10 1996-2006 97 -17 -32 -4    
  5 2001-2006 99 -20 -34 -7    

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 2006		 Change Comment
Clutch size 38 1968-2006 18 Linear increase 3.39 eggs 3.62 eggs 6.7% Small sample
Brood size 38 1968-2006 38 None        
Daily failure rate (eggs) 38 1968-2006 16 None       Small sample
Daily failure rate (chicks) 38 1968-2006 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
 

BTO Home | JNCC Home
 © British Trust for Ornithology. Charity No 216652 (England and Wales).Charity No SC039193 (Scotland)
Company Limited by Guarantee No 357284 (England and Wales).
Registered Office: The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK.
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Statement          Email:


This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Leech, D.I., Joys, A.C., Noble, D.G.,
Barimore, C., Grantham, M.J., Risely, K. & Robinson, R.A. (2009).
Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2008.
BTO Research Report No. 516. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

Pages maintained by Iain Downie, Mandy T Andrews and Laura Smith: Last updated 18.02.2009