It’s almost time for the Superb Owl, so let’s admire one of its adorable relatives — the Little Owl

I’ve received many events for this coming Sunday, but none have mentioned the best part of the day — the Superb Owl! Now, vampires apparently admire owls as fellow nocturnal predators, but did you know owls could also be incredibly cute fluffballs? So, in honor of the coming Superb Owl, let’s meet one tiny example that was literally presumed extinct in parts of Europe and is now (hopefully) on the rebound — the Little Owl.
The Little Owl is one of the smallest owls in the world; as a synanthropic species, these birds have evolved to live in proximity to humans and human-made environments combined with natural bio-diversity. They are also what’s known as an indicator species — they reflect “the well-being (health) of the environment” and, in the case of the Little Owl, proved to be a warning that their environs were suffering. The Little Owl populations of Europe declined with the destruction of their habitats leading up to the 1990s.
However, one group is working to restore them in their country and caught the eye of Planet Wild in the process. The Landschafts-Förderverein of Nuthe-Nieplitz-Niederung e.V. (or LFV-NNN) began restoration efforts in Germany roughly 30 years ago. Based two hours south of Berlin, the group has spent the last three decades replanting trees, restoring wetlands, and reverting abandoned buildings and their surroundings into healthy fields. They’ve purchased large plots of land to help develop sustainable farming practices with local farmers. And they finally hit the point where they believed the region could provide a healthy habitat for the Little Owl to rebuild its population.
The LFV-NNN has been slowly resettling the area’s population with a process called family rewilding. This involves rehousing a pair of captive-bred birds from different areas (for greater gene diversity) into aviaries in spaces that are not already occupied by existing Little Owl family groups. The efforts in restoring plant and insect species to the region are rewarded with successfully hatched owlets — the fluffiest little bundles you’ve ever seen. Then the families are released into their surroundings as a group, so they’re in a familiar space and can find a safe home (using placed nesting boxes) for their family unit.
The species has been healthily expanding into the region in the year since Planet Wild’s first video. They are monitored and receive health checks from the conservation group. However, they’re also encountering issues unique to the process — reintroducing a species means managing issues in the wild like attacks from both predators and parasites. In short, their work continues.
Now, the Little Owl is considered to be a species with a stable population on a global scale according to the IUCN’s Red List. In addition to residing in Europe, their habitats extend south into Northern Africa and east through Asia. Regardless, their continued survival can only mean good things for these regions — and lots of cute appreciation from us.
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