Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Athene noctua

Athene noctua

9.9
A small owl found in Europe and parts of Asia with a rounded head and bright yellow eyes
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Athene noctua
  • The Athene noctua can be recognized by its round head and bright yellow eyes.

Examples

  • The Athene noctua prefers open countryside and farms where it hunts insects and small mammals.

  • The Athene noctua is widely found throughout southern Europe and parts of Asia.

  • In mythology, Athene noctua is often associated with wisdom and the goddess Athena.

  • The Athene noctua is a fascinating bird.

  • Many people admire the Athene noctua for its beauty.

  • The Athene noctua hunts at dusk, primarily feeding on insects and small rodents.

  • You can often hear the distinctive calls of the Athene noctua in quiet countryside areas.

Synonyms

little owl
vsAthene noctua
  • UK
1 5.1

A small bird that hunts mice with a round head and yellow eyes

is the same species but focuses on European occurrence only

Surface Forms

Athene noctua singular
Athene noctuas plural

Morphology

Athene + noctua

This is a Latin binomial scientific name functioning as a proper noun, so its reference to a specific owl species is not compositionally derivable by a B1 learner from the parts. One constituent ('noctua') is not an English word in the dictionary and 'Athene' is a genus label, making the phrase an arbitrary species name rather than a transparently built English expression.

Etymology

Athene noctua comes from the Greek goddess Athene and the Latin word noctua, which means 'night owl'. Because this small owl was often seen near Athena's temples, people linked it to 'wisdom', so the name still tells us it is the little owl of the goddess today.