Appearance:

Small, starling sized owl. Smaller than Little Owl. Perches in upright position. Ear-tufts not prominent when relaxed, but gives angular shape to head. Plumage appears uniform, and colour varies from brown to rufous-brown. At closer range, whitish spots on shoulders and yellow eyes with dark surround, are visible. Appears long-winged in flight.

Sound:

Song: a slightly descending, short "klooit". The tone is resonant, clear and pure, unlike Little Owl. Calls uttered endlessly in a frequency of about 20 a minute. Resembles Midwife Toad (Alytes), but is clearly modulated in pitch, as opposed to the toads straight tone.

Song:

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-photo:Willem Vergoossen, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Viskens Michel, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Eric SANSAULT, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Adults in summer at close range unmistakable. Bill in juveniles almost black, and much less deep than in adults. Adults in winter plumage also show much darker bill and cheeks than in summer. At a distance head gives an all dark impression, with characteristic dark "shadow " in front of the eye. Head and bill less elongated than in other auks. Wings rounded with dark undersides. "Thighs" dark. Flight fluttering and energic, with shifting weight and angle.

Sound:

Deep, but not so coarse as Razorbill. Smoother and more gliding changes in pitch, like a "slow-motion" laugh or distant chainsaw; "aaaahrrr, aahr, ahr arh".

Contact call:

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-photo:zanzamos, Licence,Link.

Sounds:Recorded by Hans Petter Kristoffersen,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license