Red-chested owlet
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Glaucidium tephronotum

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.

Appearance

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. Length is about 14 cm (5.5 in) and wingspan is about 35 cm (14 in).

Habits and Lifestyle

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.

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Population

Population number

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.

References

1. Red-chested owlet Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-chested_owlet
2. Red-chested owlet on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22689267/93224451
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/422271

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