What are the characteristics of the jungle owlet?

The jungle owlet, or Glaucidium radiatum, is a small, rotund bird that belongs to the family Strigidae. It is found in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan – where it inhabits scrub and deciduous forests in the Himalayas from Dalhousie in the west, to Bhutan in the east. It is also found south through peninsular India to north and east Sri Lanka.

This owlet is dark brown on its upper parts and finely barred all over in brown and white. For this reason it is also called the barred jungle owlet. It has a rounded head, brownish wings and a narrowly barred tail. It has a whitish patch on the chin, upper chest and in the centre of the abdomen. It has yellow eyes, a greenish beak and black claws. Its facial disc is indistinct and the false eyes that many owlets have at the back of their heads (to Scare off predators), is missing in this species.

This owl is most active at twilight and an hour or so before dawn. Such birds are called ‘crepuscular’. Although they will fly and hunt during the day (especially if the weather is cloudy), they are most likely to be seen roosting on a tree branch in the daytime. Their call is a loud musical trill, ‘praorr-praorr-praorr-praorr’.

This little raptor is an insect connoisseur! Its diet mainly consists of beetles, grasshoppers, locusts and cicadas. It also eats molluscs, lizards, mice and small birds. It is very tenacious and fearless when it comes to hunting and has strong talons to help it catch its prey.

This owlet makes its nests in natural tree hollows or abandoned woodpecker holes. Not much information exists about the incubation or breeding habits of this species. The female lays 3 to 4 roundish, white eggs. Most nest sites are 3 to 8 meters above the ground. This species is listed under ‘Least Concern’ in the IUCN Red List due to its large range.

Picture Credit : Google

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *