Species:

Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus)

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

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Length (cm):
33-38
37-39
Wingspan (cm):
52-58
95-110
Weight (gram):
140-150
260-420
Size group:
Crow-size
Crow-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Usually recognizable by size alone. Distinctly smaller than any congener. Pale wing-panel formed by inner coverts is striking in all plumages, especially in flight. Male with contrasting black and white/buff plumage. Female with dark, but pale fringed back and streaked throat. Immature with streaked, bittern-like plumage, and wing-panel is brown-spotted. Skulky behaviour, and most active at dusk or after dark. Mostly seen in flight when crossing open water. Flight action rapid and clipping, and landing is preceded by short glide.

Sound:

Mostly silent except in breeding season. Song is a series of short, deep, frog-like "gorrk", repeated every 2 seconds. Tone is muffled and hollow, but far-carrying. Flight-call a sharp "ki-ke-ke" or a nasal "ke".

Song:

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See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sound recording:Creative Commons,www.xeno-canto.org,Jarek Matusiak,http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Appearance:

A medium sized owl, which can give a very pale impression in flight. Quite similar to a Long-eared Owl with folded tufts, but differs in bright yellow eyes, darker wing-tips and heavily streaked breast in contrast to pale belly.

Sound:

Song: a series of 6-10 deep "ho"s evenly spaced. Much faster than long eared owl, and rising in pitch until the final "ho". Calls: a raspy, drawn, mewing "eeeeeeeeeah" (about 2 seconds), rising in pitch with accented ending.

Song:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Lauri Hallikainen, Licence,Link.

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Heron-like
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Owls
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Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file