Asian Barred Owlet
Glaucidium cuculoides
The Asian barred owlet is a small owl that sits at 22–25 cm (8.7–9.8 in). The males weigh 150–176 g (0.331–0.388 lb) and the females up to 240 g (0.53 lb). Like most owls in the true owl family, the females are usually larger than the males. They are dark brown or olive-brown with a white throat patch and are densely barred. Their breast and belly is whitish in colour with dark brown bars. Its tail and wings are dark brown with whitish bars. Unlike other pygmy owl species, they do not have false eyes on the back of their head. Voice: The male song is a trill lasting anywhere from 5–20 seconds, progressively becoming louder and harsher notes before stopping abruptly, transcribed as "kwuhk kwuhk-ke-kwuhk kwuhk-kekekwurre kwurre kwurre-kwurrekwurrekwurre kwurrekwurr". They also have a common call which is a smooth "hoot".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jungle Owlet
Glaucidium radiatum
This small owlet has a rounded head and is finely barred all over. There is no clear facial disk and the wings are brownish and the tail is narrowly barred in white. There are two subspecies, the nominate form is found in the plains of India and Sri Lanka, while G. r. malabaricum of the Western Ghats is shorter tailed and shows more brown on the head. It has been suggested that the latter may warrant full species status. The plumage on the upper parts is dark black-brown barred with white. The wing coverts have white and rufous patches.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Asian Barred Owlet and Jungle Owlet.