Boreal owl in a forest in Central Europe

Today's image features a boreal owl, one of the smallest and most elusive members of the owl family.

This compact bird has a round head without ear tufts, striking yellow eyes framed by a pale facial disc, brown upperparts speckled with white and cream-coloured underparts streaked with russet brown.

Males measure about 25 centimetres in length with a wingspan of almost 60 centimetres, while females are slightly larger, around 30 centimetres long, with a wingspan over 60 centimetres.