Eurasian Pygmy Owl
Glaucidium passerinum
The Eurasian pygmy owl is usually red-tinged to a greyish-brown with dots on its back. The tail is generally darker than the body with five narrow, whitish bars. It has a small, short head with white to grey eyebrows and yellow eyes. It lacks the ear tufts that many other owls have. There is a white half-collar on the back of the neck. The belly is mostly white with brown speckles. The beak is a greyish-yellow and hook-shaped. In order to be able to carry larger vertebrate prey, it has evolved disproportionately large feet. The legs and toes are a brownish-yellow with black talons. Voice: The call of the Eurasian pygmy owl is much higher in pitch than what is generally perceived as a normal owl "hoot". The call of the male is a monotonous chain of clear, fluted notes spaced by about two seconds. The call of the female is similar, but higher in pitch. Before and after the mating season, both males and females make a five to seven note rise on the pitch scale.
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
Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App
Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Eurasian Pygmy Owl and Jungle Owlet.