Athene blewitti
The Forest Owlet (*Athene blewitti*) is a petite and robust owl, measuring approximately 23 cm (9 inches) in length and weighing between 195-220 grams. Its most striking features include a distinctive, dark-rimmed facial disk, prominent white supercilia that meet above the bill, and a unique, unspotted crown and mantle which sharply contrast with the heavily banded dark brown and white flight feathers-a critical identification mark. Upperparts are brownish-grey, while the underparts are whiti...
This owlet primarily inhabits dry deciduous forests, particularly those dominated by teak, often near forest clearings, cultivation, or water sources, typically at elevations below 600 meters.
The diet consists mainly of large insects like beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets, supplemented by small vertebrates including lizards, rodents, frogs, and small birds, captured via a perch-and-pounce technique.
Unlike most owls, the Forest Owlet exhibits primarily diurnal and crepuscular activity patterns, often seen hunting during mornings and late afternoons, though it also calls at night. It typically roosts in tree cavities, dense foliage, or occasionally even open branches. Foraging is characterize...
The Forest Owlet's distribution is extremely restricted and fragmented, endemic to a few isolated pockets within central India. Its primary breeding range is concentrated in the dry deciduous forests of the Satpura Range, particularly in the Melghat Tiger Reserve and Toranmal Wildlife Sanctuary a...
Critically Endangered
- The Forest Owlet was considered extinct for 113 years, with no confirmed sightings between 1884 and its rediscovery in 1997. - It is one of the few owl species that is primarily diurnal, actively hunting during the day. - This owlet is endemic to a highly restricted region of central India, mak...