European pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum)

The smallest nocturnal bird of prey, the Eurasian pygmy owl is a mountain owl which is somewhat rare in the southern Alps. It seeks forests with varied strata: it uses dense areas for shelter whereas the more open zones are its hunting ground, as it looks for shrews, voles and field mice. It also likes small passerines like blue tits. It uses the cavities dug by woodpeckers for nesting but also to store its prey.