African Barred Owlet

Photo © by marko.marais
Kruger National Park, South Africa, June 2016

Includes Ngami Owlet; Scheffler's Owlet, Chestnut Owlet

Photo © by Neil
Sabi Sands, South Africa, August 2008

Glaucidium capense

Identification

A small owl which reaches a maximum size of 22cm (8¾ in). No ear tufts. The females are larger, but otherwise the sexes are similar.

• Chestnut brown
• White spotted upperparts and head
• Buff underparts
• Pale face mask
• Yellow iris
• Feathered feet

Distribution

Southern half of Africa
Western Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon and DRC
Eastern Africa: Kenya, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and Uganda
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland

Taxonomy

Some authorities place this species in genus Taenioglaux.

Subspecies

This is a polytypic species^[1] consisting of three^[1] to five subspecies^[2]:

• G. c. scheffleri:

• Extreme southern coastal Somalia, eastern Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania

• G. c. ngamiense:

• Central Tanzania to eastern Zaire, Angola, Mozambique and Mafia Island

• G. c. capense:

• Southern Mozambique to Natal and eastern Cape Province

• G. c. etchecopari:

• Patchily distributed in Liberia and Ivory Coast

• G. c. castaneum:

• North-eastern Zaire (Semliki Valley) and south-western Uganda (Bwamba Forest) - Together with etchecopari sometimes regarded as full species, Chestnut Owlet

Several of the above have been split into full species by some authorities

Habitat

Woodland and forests, and on forest edges, more open savannah and along rivers.

Behaviour

It is partly diurnal.

Diet

The diet includes insects as well as small birds, mammals and reptiles.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. König, C. and F. Weick 2008. Owls of the World, second edition. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) African Barred Owlet. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/African_Barred_Owlet

External Links

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