As the sun sinks behind the horizon and casts long shadows across the forest floor, the kingdom of owls in the “Saxon Switzerland” National Park should be visited. In the mysterious hours between dusk and dawn they come to life. With every step the forest shines into the observer to envelop a symphony of rustling leaves and distant calls.
As the hike continues deeper into the forest, the haunting calls of a tawny owl (Strix aluco) can be heard in the distance through the high halls of the trees.
Determined to spot the elusive Eurasian Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium passerinum), I venture into a dense thicket where these little owls are said to have resided in the past. Suddenly I hear a series of high-pitched shouts that sent shivers down my spine. Excitement bubbled within me as I spot a pair of Eurasian Pygmy-Owls perched on a moss-covered branch. Their small size and distinctive markings make them a fascinating observation.
The interactions of the Eurasian Pygmy-Owls – small gestures, gentle cries and a fascinating courtship display. It is a magical moment, a connection between the nocturnal world and the patient observer.
The Eurasian Pygmy-Owl inhabits almost all forest types in the sandstone area on the right bank of the river Elbe, but avoids the large, closed Red Beech forests of the basalt mountains. Breeding caves can be found in valleys from a good 200 m above sea level up to the reef pine forest at 420 m. However, it predominantly settles in the lower slopes – the spruce thickets – and on the lower rocky reefs (here more pine – spruce – forests in the mix). However, the owls tend to have their nests and hunting areas at lower altitudes. The close connection between owl occurrences and over 80-year-old forests mentioned in the literature cannot be proofed for Saxon Switzerland. The presence of cave trees seems instead particularly important. Eurasian Pygmy-Owl breeding usually takes place in burrows created by the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major). In Saxon Switzerland, Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Spruce (Picea abies), Fir (Abies alba), Birch (Betula pendula) and Red Beech (Fagus sylvatica) are used as breeding trees – but the latter only in a dead state. Some Pygmy Owl nesting trees have more than just one cavity. This sometimes leads to a change in the caves used for breeding within a tree. Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Common Swifts (Apus apus), Dormice (Glis glis), and Nuthatches (Sitta europaea) have already been observed living in such cave trees. There does not seem to be a preference for one direction or height of the holes in the tree trunk.
What is striking in studies in Saxon Switzerland is a high proportion of bird prey, which is probably well over 50%. Typical songbird species in the dense forests in Saxon Switzerland include the nuthatch, the Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) and the Coal Tit (Periparus ater), which of course also appear in the prey list. In the Bavarian Forest, however, only 25% of the total prey were birds. Accordingly, bag lists – similar to many predators – always reflect the presence of the animal groups in the habitat. The appearance of the Common Swift as food for the Eurasian Pygmy-Owl in the Elbe sandstone area appears remarkable.
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