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Three little owl juveniles perched on apple tree

Athene owls

Athene owls are named after the Greek goddess of civilisation and wisdom, Athena, whose symbol was an owl. Folk tradition on the wisdom of owls survives to this day. There are four species of Athene owls, including the burrowing owl. Some species - such as the little owl - hunt during the day rather than at night. There are several extinct species, including a large flightless owl which once lived on the island of Crete.

Scientific name: Athene

Rank: Genus

Distribution

Map showing the distribution of the Athene owls taxa

The shading illustrates the diversity of this group - the darker the colour the greater the number of species. Data provided by WWF's Wildfinder.

The Athene owls can be found in a number of locations including: Africa, Asia, Europe, Indian subcontinent, North America, Russia, South America. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.

Explore this group

Little owl
Little owl Burrowing owl
Burrowing owl

Behaviours

Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.

Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web

About

Athene is a genus of owls, containing two to four living species, depending on classification. These birds are small, with brown and white speckles, yellow eyes, and white eyebrows. This genus is found on all continents except for Australia, Antarctica, and Subsaharan Africa.

Read more at Wikipedia

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