It is a dark reddish to greyish-brown, with spotted sides and half of a white ring around the back of the neck.

[3] The Eurasian pygmy owl was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Strix passerina.

[5] The specific epithet is from Latin passerinus meaning "sparrow-like" implying "sparrow sized".

[7][8] Two subspecies are recognised:[8] The Eurasian pygmy owl is usually red-tinged to a greyish-brown with dots on its back.

In order to be able to carry larger vertebrate prey, it has evolved disproportionately large feet.

The call of the male is a monotonous chain of clear, fluted notes spaced by about two seconds.

These areas generally have cooler temperatures and higher rainfall than nearby lowland regions.

The owl usually lives along the edges of clearings surrounded by moist or swampy land, generally with a water source nearby.

[9] Their food hoarding behaviour is deeply influenced by weather conditions,[10] making them susceptible to climatic changes.