Asian Barred Owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides)

Asian Barred Owlet

Subspecies

Monotypic species

Genus

Members of the genus Glaucidium are very small and tiny owls. They have rounded heads without ear-tufts. Their eyes are yellow. In many species the talons are, in relation to their size, very powerful. The facial disc is not very distinct. Some species have a large dark patch with a pale border on each side of the nape of the neck, looking like false eyes. Many are partly diurnal and sing from exposed perches. These are mostly very tenacious in the hunt, and show little fear, even of approaching humans. Glaucidium is a worldwide genus, containing some 30 species. Most of the Asian species, and some of the African species show physical and behavioural differences that suggest they might be better placed in Athene, and DNA evidence suggests that there is only a distant relationship between the Old World Pygmy Owls and those of the New World.

Physical charateristics

Resembles Jungle Owlet but larger. A dumpy ?hornless?
dark brown owlet, closely barred with whitish above and below. The abdomen is whitish
with longitudinal dark striations. There is a prominent white throat-patch.

Listen to the sound of Asian Barred Owlet

[audio:http://www.planetofbirds.com/MASTER/STRIGIFORMES/Strigidae/sounds/Asian Barred Owlet.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

wingspan min.:	0	cm	wingspan max.:	0	cm
size min.:	23	cm	size max.:	25	cm
incubation min.:	29	days	incubation max.:	31	days
fledging min.:	0	days	fledging max.:	0	days
broods:	0		eggs min.:	3
			eggs max.:	5

Range

Oriental Region : Himalayas to Southeast Asia

Habitat

Distributed in the Himalayas and north-east India in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate
forests. Often found in mango groves in hills,

Reproduction

Nest unlined in a tree cavity. Kills to occupy a nest, clutch size 3-5 eggs, incubated for about a month by both sexes.

Feeding habits

Mostly insects, but also lizards and small mammals or birds. Hunts diurnal from a perch.

Video Asian Barred Owlet

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQypvqVWB04

Conservation

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Migration

Resident, with some elevational movemetns on Himalayan slopes.

Distribution map

Asian Barred Owlet distribution range map

Planet of Birds