Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Glaucidium passerinum, in the valleys of Cuneo province (Piedmont, SW Alps)

In the South-Western Italian Alps references on the presence and habitat selection of Eurasian Pigmy Owl, Glaucidium passerinum, are few and fragmented and they do not allow to delineate a continuous range with the other sections of the Alps. The search of this species in the mountain valleys of Cuneo province (SW Piedmont) was conducted in 2006-2009 by playback. Thirteen occupied territories were located, with a density of 0.53 territories/square kilometer calculated on an area of 13 square kilometers. Habitat selection showed a clear preference for fir (Abies alba).