| Red-chested owlet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Red-chested owlet (right) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Glaucidium |
| Species: | G. tephronotum |
| Binomial name | |
| Glaucidium tephronotum Sharpe, 1875 | |
The red-chested owlet (Glaucidium tephronotum) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae, native to the African tropical rainforest. Its habits and behaviour are poorly known.
The red-chested owlet is a very small owl, which has a light grey facial disc with whitish markings and short white eyebrows. The head and neck are dark grey and the back and wings are sooty brown. The long tail has three faint bars, the upper breast and flanks have a reddish-brown wash, while the remainder of the underparts are whitish with rufous streaks on the side of the belly. The iris and bill are yellow. [3] Length is about 14 cm (5.5 in) and wingspan is about 35 cm (14 in). [4]
The call of the red-chested owlet is a series up to 20 high pitched whistling notes. [4]
There are currently three recognised subspecies of red-chested owlet: [5]
The red-chested owlet inhabits primary rain forest and a mosaic of forest and scrub, as well as clearings and forest edges. It inhabits elevations of up to 2,150 m (7,050 ft) above sea level.
The red-chested owlet is mainly nocturnal but will hunt and call on overcast afternoons; it roosts in cavities in trees during the day. The main food is insects such as beetles, mantises, grasshoppers, moths and cockroaches, as well as small mammals and birds. Its breeding behaviour is almost unknown but it is thought to nest in the old nesting cavities created by woodpeckers or barbets. [6]
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, classifies the red-chested owlet as least concern, since the population is believed to be stable and has a sizable range. [1]
The pearl-spotted owlet is a small bird of prey found in Sub-Saharan Africa. They belong to the Strigidae family, otherwise known as the typical owls or the true owls, which contains most species of owl. As part of the genus Glaucidium, or pygmy owls, they are commonly referred to as 'owlets' due to their diminutive size. Pearl-spotted owlets are brownish and heavily spotted white, with two distinct black false 'eyes' at the back of their head. They are often confused with an African Barred Owlet.
The chestnut-backed owlet, is an owl which is endemic to Sri Lanka. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most of the smaller owl species. This species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the jungle owlet.
The ferruginous pygmy owl is a small owl that breeds in south-central Arizona and southern Texas in the United States, south through Mexico and Central America, to South America into Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina.
Pygmy owls are members of the genus Glaucidium. They belong to the typical owl family, Strigidae. The genus consists of 29 species distributed worldwide. These are mostly small owls, and some of the species are called "owlets". Most pygmy owl species are nocturnal and they mainly hunt large insects and other small prey.
The Anjouan scops owl is an owl endemic to the island of Anjouan in the Comoro Islands.
The jungle owlet, or barred jungle owlet, is found in the Indian Subcontinent. The species is often found singly, in pairs or small groups and are usually detected by their calls at dawn and dusk. There are two subspecies with the form found in the Western Ghats sometimes considered a full species.
The sandy scops owl, or cinnamon scops owl, is an owl from the family Strigidae found in Africa.
The Akun eagle-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae, native to the African tropical rainforest.
The Albertine owlet is a small species of small owl in the family Strigidae, native to the Albertine Rift montane forests.
The collared owlet, also known as the collared pygmy owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. Its natural habitat is submontane and montane forests with open spaces and is distributed throughout oriental Asia. It is the smallest owl in Asia, at 15 cm (5.9 in) and 60 g (2.1 oz).
The African barred owlet is a species of small owl in the family Strigidae found in much of southern, central and eastern Africa. The taxon may be four species rather than a single species.
The chestnut owlet is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in west and central Africa in two allopatric subspecies that possibly could be classified as separate species.
The austral pygmy owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Argentina and Chile.
The Pacific pygmy owl or Peruvian pygmy owl is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is found in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.
The Tamaulipas pygmy owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Mexico. This is one of the smallest owls in the world at a mean length of 13.5 centimetres (5.3 in). However, at 53 grams (1.9 oz), it is slightly heavier than the long-whiskered owlet and the elf owl. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
The Cuban pygmy owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to Cuba.
Sjöstedt's barred owlet, also known as Sjöstedt's owlet, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae from west central Africa.
The maned owl or the Akun scops owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to Africa. It is the only species in genus Jubula.
The white-browed owl, also known as the white-browed hawk-owl or the Madagascar hawk-owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Madagascar.
The mountain pygmy owl is a small species of owl from the family Strigidae. They reside throughout southern Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico.
