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The pygmy owl, also known as the sparrow owl, is the smallest of the owl species found in Latvia and is specially protected. The Latvian Ornithological Society has nominated it as the bird of the year 2026.

Pygmy owls are found throughout Latvia. Employees of JSC “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) have registered 147 observations of the species in the geospatial database “LVM GEO”.

The pygmy owl is a starling-sized bird that nests mainly in hollows carved by great spotted woodpeckers. Pygmy owls inhabit old mixed and coniferous forests that are little affected by human economic activity, especially if aspen with suitable hollows are present. During wintering, they are often found in the immediate proximity of human settlements.

Unlike other owl species, it is active mainly during daylight hours and at dusk. The highest activity of the species has been recorded around sunrise and sunset, when characteristic whistles and calls can be heard. This diurnal behavior is associated with the activity of its most important prey animal, the bank vole. The owl also hunts shrew and small birds.

This winter, forester Ingrīda Šīriņa observed a pygmy owl during daytime in the village of Žīguri, plucking a sparrow:

The pygmy owl begins nesting about a month later than other owl species, from April to the end of May. The chicks fly out of their hollows from mid-June to the end of July. The species is characterized by an annual change of nesting sites up to one kilometer from the previous hollow; thus, protecting its habitats is difficult, and complex solutions are needed.