Pygmy Owl is a fairly common bird in Estonia. The population size in this country has been
estimated to 500-800 by
Estonian Ornitological Society , but in our oppinion it is about double of that size - depending somewhat (less than in many other owl species) on the fluctuation of the number of rodents, of course. In spring and autumn this owl is quite easy to hear and see - at least for experienced bird-watcher. It keeps quiet in wintertime, but can then be noticed more easily than in summer, when it keeps totally low profile. Only solitary males can be heard then. Sometimes it is possible to hear and see by chance fledged young. The best habitat for Pygmy Owl is the aged coniferous forests.
Photo by Rein Kuresoo, click on image to see it on Flickr.The normal call of this owl is a sequence of monotonous fluted notes.sometimes followed by a trilling staccato.
Björn Welander's video from the site Veoh.com However, in the end of August the parent owls tell their offspring to piss off. This is expressed by the 5-7 note ascending musical scale call with last broken tone note. Also young birds searching their place under the sun and moon use this call.
Photo by Rein KuresooRein
