Asian barred owlet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Asian barred owlet |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Asian barred owlet – Sattal, Uttarakhand, India | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Glaucidium
|
| Species: |
cuculoides
|
 |
|
| Range of G. cuculoides Resident | |
The Asian Barred Owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides) is a small owl. It is also called the Cuckoo Owlet. This owl lives in forests and bushy areas. You can find it from mainland Southeast Asia all the way to the foothills of the Himalayas in northern Pakistan. It measures about 22-25 centimeters (8.7-9.8 inches) long. This makes it one of the bigger pygmy owls. They mostly eat insects. But they also hunt lizards, small rodents, and birds.
Contents
What Does the Asian Barred Owlet Look Like?
The Asian Barred Owlet is a small bird. It is about 22-25 centimeters (8.7-9.8 inches) tall. Male owlets weigh around 150-176 grams (5.3-6.2 ounces). Female owlets can weigh up to 240 grams (8.5 ounces). Like most true owls, females are usually bigger than males.
These owls are dark brown or olive-brown. They have a white patch on their throat. Their feathers have many dark bars or stripes. Their chest and belly are whitish with dark brown bars. Their tail and wings are dark brown with whitish bars. Unlike some other pygmy owls, they do not have "false eyes" on the back of their heads.
Young owlets have a streaked chest, not barred. Their heads are more reddish-brown. Asian Barred Owlets look similar to the Javan Owlet and Collared Owlet.
Where Do Asian Barred Owlets Live?
Asian Barred Owlets often live in woodland areas. This includes forests with pine and oak trees. They also like subtropical and tropical evergreen jungles. They are found at lower elevations. You can also see them in foothills up to about 2,100 meters (6,900 feet) high. The highest one was seen at 2,700 meters (8,900 feet) in the Himalayas. Sometimes, they even live near people in gardens and parks. They seem to prefer forests that have grown back after being cut down.
These owls are found across mainland Southeast Asia. Their range includes southeast China, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, northeast India, and the foothills of the Himalayas in Pakistan.
How Do Asian Barred Owlets Behave?
Daily Life
Asian Barred Owlets are mostly active during the day. This is different from many other owls. They often sit on bare branches to hunt. Because they are out during the day, smaller birds sometimes bother them. When this happens, the owlet will usually just sit still. Their flight pattern is wavy. They flap their wings quickly, then glide with wings closed.
What Do Asian Barred Owlets Eat?
Their main food is insects. This includes beetles, grasshoppers, and cicadas. They also eat lizards, small rodents like mice, and small birds. They hunt from a perch. They can even catch birds in the air. People have seen them snatching Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix) right out of the sky.
Sounds They Make
Male owlets sing a trilling sound. It can last from 5 to 20 seconds. The song gets louder and harsher before it stops suddenly. It sounds like "kwuhk kwuhk-ke-kwuhk kwuhk-kekekwurre kwurre kwurre-kwurrekwurrekwurre kwurrekwurr". They also have a common call that sounds like a smooth "hoop". Asian Barred Owlets are loudest at dawn and a few hours after sunrise. But they can make sounds at any time of day. You can hear an example of their song here: [1]
How Do They Have Babies?
The breeding season for Asian Barred Owlets is from January to February in Thailand. In other places, it's from March to June. They build their nests in holes in trees. They also use old nests made by woodpeckers and barbets. Sometimes, they even use old nests of Collared Scops Owls. There have been cases where they killed woodpeckers or barbets to get a nest hole. A few nests were found on the ground in Thailand in 2017. This might have happened because there were no good tree nest sites.
A pair of owlets will lay one set of 3 to 5 white, round eggs each year. Both parents take care of the young. They bring food to the nest. The young owlets leave the nest as early as April in Thailand. For most of their range, they leave the nest by early July.
Do They Move Around?
Asian Barred Owlets are resident birds. This means they do not migrate long distances. They do move locally. They often move to lower elevations during the non-breeding season.
Asian Barred Owlets and People
In some parts of Asia, people believe owls are a sign of bad luck. This belief can lead to people trying to harm owls. They might shoot them, steal their eggs, or use chemicals to kill them. These owls are already facing threats. Their homes are being destroyed by cities growing and forests being cut down. These beliefs make it even harder for conservation efforts to protect them.
