Tengmalm's owl

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

The Tengmalm's owl is a small owl species with a total length of about 25 cm and a body-weight of a bout 100-200 g. The head is broad and the forehead flat. The facial disc is oval, whitish in colour, surrounded by a dark rim with small white spots. There is a small dark portion between the eyes and the base of the bill. Eyes are pale to bright yellow, and the bill is yellowish horn.

The colour of the plumage varies widely between individuals. Some are more reddish-brown, while others are more greyish.Upper parts are dark brown with bold white spotting. Underparts are off-white, with broad streaks of darkish brown, denser on the breast and trailing off at the lower belly. The tail is short and brown, with 4-5 white cross-bars. The legs and feet are thickly covered with white feathers, hence the German name "Rauhfusskauz". The claws are darkish horn to blackish brown, and have very sharp black tips.

The Tengmalm's owl is almost exclusively nocturnal. It breeds in tree cavities often taken over from black woodpeckers. In April, the female lays 4-7 eggs, which incubates for 4 weeks. The male participates in the rearing of the young, which leave the nest after 4-5 weeks, but still need to be fed by the parents.

Did you know?
that Temgmalm's owls hunt primarily small mammals, only rarely take birds, never hunt reptiles and amphibians, and only occasionally eat insects? The most common prey are different species of mice and voles, including - in Central Europe - ruddy vole, snow vole, common vole and field vole, yellow-necked field mouse and wood mouse.

Factsheet
Class	AVES
Order	STRIGIFORMES
Family	STRIGIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Aegolius funereus
Name (English)	Tengmalm's owl
Name (French)	Chouette de Tengmalm
Name (German)	Rauhfusskauz
Name (Spanish)	Lechuza de Tangmalm
Local names	Czech: Sýc rousný Dutch: Ruigpootuil Estonian: Karvasjalg-kakk, Llaanekakk Finnish: Helmipöllö Italian: Civetta capogrosso Nowegian: Perleugle Polish: Wlochatka Portuguese: Mocho de Tengmalm Romansh: Tschuetta pailusa Swedish: Pärluggla
CITES Status	Appendix II
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
R. Parriger

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Eurasia and North America: Asia: India; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Tajikistan. Europe: Albania; Andorra; Armenia; Austria; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Mongolia; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; vagarnts also in Luxemburg and the nited Kingdom. North America: Canada; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; United States.
Habitat	Boreal forests.
Wild population	Approx. 1.700.00 (Partners in flight 2008)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

Owls travel best in completely dark boxes. Boxes should be slightly longer than the head to tail length of the bird intended to travel, and wide and high enough for the bird to be able to stand or lie down in comfort without banging its shoulders or head. A well made wooden box with no perches is required, with carpet or some other non slip surface fixed on the floor and a padded ceiling, with air-holes on either side. The easiest type of door to use is an upward sliding door at one end. The door can then be slid up a small amount; the bird visualised before being grasped by the legs, carefully, through the small opening before sliding the door fully open for removal. A handle fixed to the top of the box makes carrying easier.

For air transport, Container Note 20 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
R. Parriger

Why do zoos keep this animal

Tengmalm's owls are globally not threatened, and zoos keep them primarily for educational reasons. As they are little birds, they hunt mammals up to the size of garden dormice and birds up to the size of thrushes, i.e. they can easily be associated with gallinaceous birds, wood pigeons, hares and rabbites.

How this animal should be kept

Pinioning or wing clipping is unacceptable for any of the owl species, which use flight as their main method of locomotion, so aviaries with enclosed tops are needed to prevent birds escaping. An aviary of at least 5 m² surface and a height of at least 2.5 m is required for a pair of medium-sized owls. The size should be increase by 2 m² for each additional adult. To ensure the birds have a feeling of security, at least one side (and better still two sides) of the aviary should be of a solid material. This also allows for keepers to approach for husbandry purposes without being seen by the birds. For the other sides, welded mesh appears to be the most suitable material, with a mesh area of 25mm x 25mm, but also nylon netting may be used. Chicken wire is an unsuitable material.

A public safety barrier should be built 1 m away from the enclosure fence to discourage visitors from putting fingers or foreign objects though wire mesh fronts.

Provision of enough high, horizontal or vertical, perches for each bird is essential; owls generally feel more secure on higher perches, especially above ‘people height’. Perches should be positioned so as to make maximum use of aviary space and encourage the birds to exercise. Wooden nest boxes and several areas providing shelter and protection from cold should be provided.

Owls should be fed once a day. The diet consists of freshly killed or freshly (but completely!) thawed rodents, quails and one day old chicks. The owls should have access to clean water for drinking at all times.