Nyctale de Tengmalm— Quebec wildlife

The boreal owl or Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus) is a small owl in the "true owl" family Strigidae. It is known as the boreal owl or, more rarely, Richardson's owl after Sir John Richardson, in North America, and as Tengmalm's owl in Europe and Asia, after the Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm. Due to its nocturnal habits and preferred inaccessible taiga forest habitat, it is rarely seen by humans; when met with, it is often extremely confident, showing little or no fear of people, only flying off if approached to within 3–5 metres.

Description

The boreal owl is small with a large head and long wings. Both sexes are similar in appearance, though females are larger. Males typically measure 21–25 cm (8–10 in) in length, with a wingspan of 55–58 cm (22–23 in), while females are larger, 25–28 cm (10–11 in), with a wingspan of 59–62 cm (23–24 in). Females, weighing 132–215 g (4.7–7.6 oz), are heavier than males, which weigh 93–139 g (3.3–4.9 oz).