Athena's Owl (Athene noctua), formerly "Little Owl", is a small, stocky-looking species of bird in the Strigidae family (owls). It is the most diurnal of the strigidae, despite its Latin name (noctua, literally "night bird", but more generally "owl"). In ancient Greece, it was the attribute of Athena1, goddess of wisdom. The original range of Athena's owl is the Mediterranean basin, where it found open environments (olive plantations) suitable for nesting. It gradually extended its range, following the spread of open farmland through forests. Today, the little owl is found throughout Europe, with the exception of Ireland and Scandinavia. Strigiformes
