Tengmalm's Owl

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Tengmalm's Owl
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Strigiformes
Family:	Strigidae
Genus:	Aegolius
Species:	A. funereus
Binomial name
Aegolius funereus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies
Aegolius funereus beickianus Aegolius funereus caucasicus Aegolius funereus funereus Aegolius funereus magnus Aegolius funereus pallens Aegolius funereus richardsoni Aegolius funereus sibiricus

Tengmalm's Owl, Aegolius funereus, is a small owl. It is known as the Boreal Owl in North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae.

This bird breeds in dense coniferous forests across northern North America and Eurasia, and in mountain ranges such as the Alps and the Rockies. It lays 3-6 eggs in a tree hole. Across much of Europe, and to a lesser extent in Asia and North America, naturalists and biologists put up nest boxes for these and other small owls.

This species is not normally migratory, but in some autumns significant numbers move further south. It is rarely any great distance south of its breeding range, although this is partly due to the problems of detecting this nocturnal owl outside the breeding season when it is not calling.

This smallish owl eats mainly voles and other mammals but also birds as well as insects and other invertebrates. It is largely nocturnal, though in the northern most parts of its range, it is forced to hunt during daylight because of the very short nights in summer.

The Tengmalm's Owl is 22–27 cm long with a 50–62 cm wingspan. It is brown above, with white flecking on the shoulders. Below it is whitish streaked brown. The head is large, with yellow eyes and a white facial disc, and a "surprised" appearance. The flight is strong and direct. Young birds are chocolate brown.

The bird's call is similar in sound to the "winnowing" of the North American Wilson's Snipe.

This bird is named after the Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm.

This type of owl was featured in Out of Africa (film) as Karen Blixen's pet, although it is not native to Africa and was not the species of owl the real Karen Blixen kept.

References

1. ^ BirdLife International (2008). Aegolius funereus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 24 February 2009.

External links

• Tengmalm's Owl videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
• Aegolius funereus (TSN 177938). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 24 February 2009.
• Images at www.naturlichter.com

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aegolius funereus