Little Owl

Description. Upper parts are dark brownish, darkest of all races; the dark pattern on the under parts is deep and contrast. Male wing length 152-169 (160), female 158-177 (168) mm.
Distribution. Breeds the northern part of the area between Volga and Ural rivers (southward to 49-th parallel), and Ural valley, eastward to lower reaches of Ilek river. Probably birds of this race observed in the end of July 2001 at Shortandy area.

Description. Upper parts are rusty-brown less brown, sometimes greyish tinged, lighter than on noctua. The dark pattern on under parts is slightly paler and less contrast than on noctua. Male wing length 163-170 (164), female 166-173 (168) mm.
Distribution. Breeds in the southern part of the area between Volga and Ural rivers (northward to 49-th parallel), on east to lower current of Ural valley.

Description. Upper parts are light-brownish rusty tinged, lighter than on indigena. The dark pattern on under parts is paler and less contrast than on indigena and noctua. Male wing length 159-174 (166), female 159-177 (169) mm.
Distribution. Breeds from the east coast of Caspian Sea and lower valley of Ural river; to east border of Balkhash-Alakol depression, foothills of Tarbagatay ridge, Dzhungarskiy Alatau and Tien Shan. On 3 September 1980 collected on Tengiz lake.

Description. Upper parts are clay-grey, less brownish; usually lighter than on bactriana (but occasionally not distinguished from bactriana). The dark pattern on under parts is slightly more contrast than on bactriana. The white mottling of upper parts is more developed than at other races. Male wing length 165-172 (168), female 170-181 (176) mm.
Distribution. Breeds in Tien Shan, Dzhungarskiy Alatau, Tarbagatay ridges and probably foothills of Altai and Kalbinskiy Altai. A.M. Chelzov-Bebutov (1978) considers that birds recorded in Kyzyltau Mts. at south of Pavlodar region refer to this subspecies.

Description. Upper parts on color are similar to bactriana and slightly darker, more brownish-grey than on orientalis. White mottling of upper parts is as on orientalis. Male wing length 158-170 (163), female 167-178 (173) mm.
Distribution. Breeds in Altai, in area of Tarbagatay ridge it presumably intergrades with orientalis.