Pearl-spotted owlet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pearl-spotted owlet
G. p. diurnum in Chobe NP, Botswana
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Strigiformes
Family:	Strigidae
Genus:	Glaucidium
Species:	G. perlatum
Binomial name
Glaucidium perlatum (Vieillot, 1817)
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The pearl-spotted owlet (Glaucidium perlatum) is a small bird of prey. It lives in sub-Saharan Africa. These owls belong to the Strigidae family. This family includes most types of owls. They are often called 'owlets' because they are quite small. Pearl-spotted owlets are brownish with many white spots. They have two distinct black 'false eyes' on the back of their head. People sometimes confuse them with an African barred owlet.

About the Pearl-Spotted Owlet

The pearl-spotted owlet is one of Africa's smallest owls. It grows to be about 17 to 21 cm long. Female owlets are a bit bigger and heavier (about 100g) than males (about 65g). Both male and female birds look very similar.

What They Look Like

Their face is off-white, and their eyes are yellow. On the back of their head, they have two clear black 'false eyes'. These false eyes have a white outline. Their upper body is cinnamon-brown with white spots. The tail and flight feathers are brown. They have large white spots that form bars when they fly. Their bill and cere are pale greenish yellow. Their legs are covered in white feathers, and their feet are yellow.

Young owlets look like adults. However, the spots on their head and back might be missing or much smaller. Their false 'eyes' are very easy to see.

How to Tell Them Apart

Pearl-spotted owlets are often confused with African barred owlets. African barred owlets have fine bars, not spots, on their head and back. Their chest is blotched, not streaked. They also have bars across their upper chest. Unlike the pearl-spotted owlet, they do not have false 'eyes'. African barred owlets also have a proportionally larger head.

Their Calls and Sounds

Pearl-spotted owlets call both day and night. They call a lot before they breed. However, they are quiet when they are nesting. They have a special call: a loud series of short, shrill whistles. These whistles get faster and louder. They then end with long, loud whistles that drop in pitch and volume. It sounds like peu peu peu-peu-peu peeuu peeeuu.

A breeding pair might call together. The female's call is higher pitched. If they are in danger, the pair will make soft whistles and peeps.

Where Pearl-Spotted Owlets Live

The pearl-spotted owlet lives across sub-Saharan Africa. They are very common in savannas. You can find them in southern Africa, including north and central Namibia. They also live in Botswana and Zimbabwe. Their range goes north to Sudan and west to Senegal.

They live in many types of woodland and bushveld habitats. They especially like mopane and open thorn savanna. These areas have sparse ground cover. They avoid thick forests and very open grasslands or shrublands.

Types of Pearl-Spotted Owlets

There are three types, or subspecies, of pearl-spotted owlets in Africa:

• Glaucidium perlatum perlatum — Found from Senegal and Gambia to western Sudan.
• Glaucidium perlatum licua (Lichtenstein, 1842) — Found from Eastern Sudan and Ethiopia to northern South Africa, Angola, and Namibia.
• Glaucidium perlatum diurnum (Clancey, 1968) — Found in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

The pearl-spotted owlet lives in a very large area. Because of this, it is not considered an endangered species. The number of these owls seems to be stable. Even though we do not know the exact number, it is not a concern. For these reasons, the pearl-spotted owlet is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This means they are not currently at risk.

Pearl-Spotted Owlet Behaviour

Pearl-spotted owlets are often active during the day. However, they hunt and call mostly at night. They rest in open spots under small bushes or shrubs. If someone disturbs them, they stare intently and quickly move to another perch. When they feel threatened, they often flick or wag their tail feathers. They are seen bathing regularly during the day if there is open water. Their flight is fast and wavy, with whirring wings.

Hunting and Food

They usually hunt at night from a low perch. They grab prey from the ground below. Sometimes they swoop to snatch prey from leaves, nests, or even in flight. They also hunt during the day when they get a chance. Small birds often mob them when they are hunting. When excited while hunting, they flick their tail feathers or bob their head up and down.

Pearl-spotted owlets mostly eat insects and spiders. This includes grasshoppers, crickets, and solifuges. But they can also hunt small animals with backbones. These include rodents, bats, lizards, snakes, and small birds.

Even though pearl-spotted owlets are not a threat to larger animals, Red colobus monkeys in western Uganda have been seen catching and killing them. This is a way for the monkeys to protect themselves from predators.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Pearl-spotted owlets are monogamous. This means they have only one mate. They nest alone and are very protective of their territory. The number of nests in lightly wooded areas depends on how many nest holes are available.

The male brings food to the female as a courtship gift. The female spends a long time calling softly from inside the nest before she lays eggs. Their nests are usually old holes made by large barbets or woodpeckers. One female was seen using the same nest site for at least four years. Females usually lay 2 to 4 eggs. The incubation period, when the eggs are kept warm, is around 29 days.