Little Owl
Little OwlLittle OwlLittle OwlLittle Owl

Little Owl

Athene noctua

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Hortobágy National Park
130 Verified records at Hortobágy National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's active at dawn and dusk

The little owl (Athene noctua), also known as the owl of Athena or owl of Minerva, is a bird that inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, the Palearctic east to Korea, and North Africa. It was introduced into Britain at the end of the 19th century and into the South Island of New Zealand in the early 20th century. This owl is a member of the typical or true owl family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl, the other grouping being the barn owls, Tytonidae. It is a small (approx. 22 cm long), cryptically coloured, mainly nocturnal species and is found in a range of habitats including farmland, woodland fringes, steppes and semi-deserts. It feeds on insects, earthworms, other invertebrates and small vertebrates. Wikipedia →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Little Owl sighting in Hortobágy National Park, based on 130 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Hortobágy National Park

Long-eared Owl
LC

Long-eared Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Asio otus

<5% · Rare
Tawny Owl
LC

Tawny Owl

Bird

Strix aluco

<5% · Rare
Eurasian Scops Owl
LC

Eurasian Scops Owl

🌙 Nocturnal Bird

Otus scops

<5% · Rare
Short-eared Owl
LC Endemic

Short-eared Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Asio flammeus

Insufficient data
Eurasian Eagle-Owl
LC

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Bird

Bubo bubo

Insufficient data
Common Barn-Owl
LC Endemic

Common Barn-Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Tyto alba

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
30–40
Feb
20–30
Mar
20–30
Apr
20–30
May
20–30
Jun
10–20
Jul
10–20
Aug
40–50
Sep
20–30
Oct
30–40
Nov
20–30
Dec

🌅 When They're Spotted

Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)

🌅Crepuscular
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
20–30%
2 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
10–20%
3 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
4 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
5 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
5–10%
6 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
7 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
8 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
9 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
<5%
10 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
11 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
12 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
13 Hemis National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
14 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
15 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
Insufficient data
16 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
Insufficient data
17 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
18 Khangchendzonga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
19 Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
20 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
21 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Little Owl in Hortobágy National Park?

About 26% of wildlife watchers report a Little Owl sighting in Hortobágy National Park, based on 130 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Little Owl in Hortobágy National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Little Owl in Hortobágy National Park in our monthly data.

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