Appearance:

Small owl with large, square head and spotted upperparts. Eyes bright yellow and facial disks white. "Astonished" expression. Size approximates that of Little Owl, but appears more bulky. Head much larger than in Pygmy Owl, and flight pattern includes interspersed glides without bounding. Seldom seen in the open.

Sound:

Song consists of fast series of fairly deep whistling notes "po-po-po-po-po-po-po-po", slightly ascending in pitch, and descending in the last few syllables. Phrase includes up to 25 units. Other calls include a drawn-out, squeaky "kweeat" and some peculiar, explosive sounds with an almost "electronic" quality.

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:Stefan Berndtsson, Licence,Link,

Appearance:

Summer: Red throat (seemingly black at a distance!). Lacks white vertical framing of throat patch and white spotted back of Black-throated Diver. Winter: Quite pale. White face and eye-ring. Just a narrow stripe of dark grey along the back of the neck. In all plumages best identified by posture and silhouette, especially when seen at a distance. Slender neck, head and bill. Flat chest. Usually shows no white flank patch. Bill usually held uptilted.

Sound:

In flight; nasal, dry, gooselike series of rhythmic cackling "ko-ko-ko". Most vocal when courting and breeding. A meowing drawn-out sound starting with a register break, then falling in pitch. Display call a far reaching rolling cyclic cooing, given in long sequences.

Song/display:

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.