- Athene blewitti
Heteroglaux blewitti
Identification
Crown unspotted or with only fine dots, and upperside mostly unspotted. Underside mostly white with band across upper breast and barring on flanks. Folded wings have rows of white.
Has white-feathered legs, yellowish feet with black claws, yellowish bill and pale yellow eyes.
Similar species
Spotted Owlet is smaller but with longer wings, has barring on most of underside, and has white on crown and back. Little Owl is streaked on underside.
Distribution
Central India: rediscovered in the plains and foothills of the Akrani Range; historical range included parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa. Habitat loss is suspected to be a threat to this species (7 known pairs in 2000).
Taxonomy
Formerly included in the genus Heteroglaux.
Habitat
Open decidous forest with grassy understory.
Behaviour
Largely diurnal, with signs of being a predator dependent on a sit-and-wait strategy.
Diet
Prey is largely reptiles.
Reference
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Ecology and Conservation of Owls, 2002. I Newton, R Kavanagh, J Olsen, and I Taylor (eds). ISBN 0643067949.
- König, C. and F. Weick 2008. Owls of the World, second edition. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Forest Owlet. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Forest_Owlet
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
