Red-chested Owlet

Overview

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, and it is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Very small owl with a length of about 14 cm and a wingspan of about 35 cm.
• Light grey facial disc with whitish markings and short white eyebrows; head and neck are dark grey.
• Back and wings are sooty brown; upper breast and flanks have a reddish-brown wash, while underparts are whitish with rufous streaks on the side of the belly.
• Iris and bill are yellow; call consists of up to 20 high-pitched whistling notes.

Habitat

Found in primary rain forest, a mosaic of forest and scrub, clearings, and forest edges across parts of West and Central Africa, including Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southwestern Uganda, and western Kenya. It inhabits elevations of up to 2,150 m above sea level.

Diet

The main food consists of insects such as beetles, mantises, grasshoppers, moths, and cockroaches, as well as small mammals and birds. It is mainly nocturnal but will hunt on overcast afternoons.

Did you know?

Its breeding behaviour is almost unknown, but it is thought to nest in the old nesting cavities created by woodpeckers or barbets.