How to welcome the Little Owl in London, England, United Kingdom
Athene noctua · Strigidae
Seen in London, England, United Kingdom
← See the full Little Owl guide
London is located in United Kingdom. Approximate coordinates: 51.507, -0.128.
About the Little Owl
The little owl, 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.
Source: Wikipedia
Ecological traits of the Little Owl
- Nesting : owl — owl box.
- Species that does not visit feeders (specialised diet).
Matching nest box plan
For the Little Owl, the reference plan from nichoirs.net is:
Recommended internal dimensions: 200 × 350 × 200 mm (width × height × depth).
Entrance hole diameter: 70 mm.
Installing and maintaining the nest box — Little Owl
Installation
- Height : Not documented in the selected sources.
- Orientation : East or South-East (Strix aluco, Corvus monedula, Dryocopus martius). South or South-East (Tyto alba, Falco tinnunculus, Falco naumanni).
- Support : Tree (Strix aluco, Dryocopus martius). Pole or exterior wall (Corvus monedula). Pole, against a wall, building, barn, bell tower (Tyto alba, Falco tinnunculus, Falco naumanni).
- When to install : Autumn recommended. March or April possible. Early May to avoid occupation by earlier species.
- Precautions : Not documented in the selected sources.
Annual cleaning
- Frequency : Once a year after each breeding season.
- Method : Remove old nest materials. Brush or clean with boiling water to kill parasites. Let dry. Burn the inner wall if possible (with a blowtorch).
- Products to avoid : Do not use insecticides, flea treatments, soap or detergent. Use boiling water.
- When to install : After the breeding season, from September. Before February for winter occupants.
- Precautions : Put a small handful of clean hay or wood shavings (not straw) after cleaning and drying. Gloves must be worn during cleaning. It is normal that some eggs do not hatch or that young die.
Sources: LPO, Natagora, Vogelbescherming, RSPB, NABU, nichoirs.net.
Three ways to help
- Install a nest box — Free species-tailored construction plans and video tutorials.
- Install a feeder — Choose the feeder and seeds based on the bird's feeding habits.
- Grow a natural pantry — Native local plants that sustainably feed this bird and biodiversity.
Other birds observed in London
- Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
- Eurasian Scops-Owl (Otus scops)
- Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
- Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
- Eurasian Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium passerinum)
- Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)
Sources and credits
- Observation data: eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, ebird.org)
- Source: Wikipedia
- Plans and dimensions: nichoirs.net