Boreal Owl

How to recognise it

• Brown upperparts with white spots, known as pearls, on the shoulders
• Large head with yellow eyes and a white, round face with a dark rim
• Whitish underparts with brown streaks and a pale yellow bill
• Male and female look alike, young birds are dark brown with white facial patches

Call and song

The male's call is a series of three to ten strong hoots, "po-på-på-på-på-på", repeated and carrying a very long way. In Sweden the territorial call is usually heard from late February to May, almost only after dark. Other sounds include a squirrel-like smacking and a soft note that recalls the contact call of a Jackdaw.

Where and when

The Boreal Owl occurs across most of Sweden and is most numerous in taiga with many nest boxes, for example in Västerbotten. It is reported most in February and March, rarely from May to December. Its share of all bird reports is highest in Jämtland, Västernorrland and Västerbotten. It is Endangered (EN) in Sweden, and the population has fallen by about 60 percent in the last 15 years.

Food and behaviour

The Boreal Owl rests by day, preferably in a dense spruce, and sits upright when resting. It hunts in dense forest, mainly from drooping spruce branches, and eats mostly voles, wood mice, wood lemmings and other small mammals, as well as small birds and larger insects. Its flight is silent, straight, fast and a little bat-like. It often shows little or no fear of people.