Scientific Name : Glaucidium brodiei
Family : Strigidae
Order : Strigiformes
Class : Aves
Phylum : Chordata
Other Name : Collared Pygmy Owlet
Habitat : Evergreen forest
Description : The Collared Owlet is a tiny owl with a false face on the back of its head (adult bird length approximately 17 cm, weight 58 g, wing 9.5 cm, bill 1.5 cm, tarsus 2.2 cm, tail 6 cm). The adult looks rufous and grey-brown except for a white patch on the throat and white on the middle of the breast and belly. It has a white supercilium and rufous half collar on the upper back. It feeds on small birds, mice, lizards, grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles and other large insects. It breeds in March-June. The collared owlet prefers a range of habitats including evergreen forests, forest edges, mixed deciduous-evergreen forests with oak, rhododendron, and fir, as well as open woodlands with scrub. They can be found at altitudes between 700 and 2750 meters, with submontane and montane regions being their primary range. These owlets are diurnal, active during daylight hours, and can be observed perching, hunting, and calling throughout the day and occasionally at night. While roosting, they are often mobbed by other small birds. The breeding season of the collared owlet takes place from March to April, during which the mating couple is believed to stay together exclusively.
For nesting, collared owlets utilize natural tree hollows or holes created by woodpeckers or barbets. These nest sites are typically high in tree trunks located in clearings or open areas within the forest. The clutch size ranges from 3 to 5 round, white eggs. Egg laying occurs between late April and mid-June, and the young owlets fledge from mid-June to early August. Despite their small size, these owlets are fierce predators and have been observed capturing prey as large as themselves. Once caught, the prey is carried by their talons and torn apart using upward pulls of the bill.
Distribution in Bangladesh
References:
description written by:Fatema-Tuz-Zohora,Department of Zoology, Jagannath University,Dhaka;information source: Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol-26, iucnredlist.org;taxonomic checklist:P. M. Thompson and S. U. Chowdhury (2020). A checklist of birds of Bangladesh.Birds Bangladesh;photo credit: Hiyashi Haka(www.inaturalist.org/people/Hiyashi Haka),photo shared from iNaturalist, photo copyright reserved according to iNaturalist rules;Peter Boesmanmore information, please contact us.