Bird Guide

Jungle Owlet vs Northern Pygmy Owl

Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum)

Jungle Owlet

Glaucidium radiatum

Medium101 gWoodland

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

Sonogram of the Jungle Owlet
Recorded by Mandar Bhagat · Call · Jim Corbett National Park (near Ramnagar), Nainital, Uttarakhand, India · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Rohitjahnavi · CC BY 4.0
Northern Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma)

Northern Pygmy Owl

Glaucidium gnoma

Medium61 gForest

The adult mountain pygmy owl is approximately 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in) in length. Males weigh from 48 to 54 g (1.7–1.9 oz); however, reverse sexual dimorphism indicates that adult females are larger in mass reaching 60 to 73 g (2.1–2.6 oz). The wing length of a male is 86–89 mm (3.4–3.5 in) and that of a female is 87–98 mm (3.4–3.8 in), while the tail of both sexes can reach 61–66 mm (2.1–2.6 in). Adult plumage color is similar to that of most pygmy owls. The chest and throat are white, while the face is a deeper brown. Voice: There is limited information regarding specific seasonal calls or songs, pertaining to the mountain pygmy owl. However, it is suggested that vocal behavior observed in the Eurasian pygmy owl (G. passerinum) can be applied to the other pygmy owl species.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: no rights reserved, uploaded by Kyle Nessen · cc0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Jungle Owlet and Northern Pygmy Owl.