Little Owl

Chris Sperring searches for little owls at Ashton Court, near Bristol.

The species is declining in Britain due to destruction of their habitat. However, conservationists are not concerned because the little owl is an introduced species.

It's thought that they may be one of the few of such species that have not caused any damage to the environment.

Chris describes their alarm behaviour, their hunting methods and how they crop up in Greek and Roman mythology.

Producer: Julian Hector

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2007.