The chestnut-backed owlet (''Glaucidium castanotum'') (often misspelled ''Glaucidium castanonotum''), is an

owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to Sri Lanka. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most of the smaller owl species. This species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the

jungle owlet The jungle owlet (''Glaucidium radiatum'') or barred jungle owlet is native to the Indian Subcontinent. The species is often found singly, in pairs or small groups and they are usually detected by their calls at dawn and dusk. There are two subsp ...

Description

The chestnut-backed owlet is small and stocky, measuring in length. It resembles the

in shape, size and appearance but the upperparts, scapulars and wing coverts are mainly chestnut brown, with darker barring. The underparts are white with blackish shaft-streaks.HENRY, GM 1971. A guide to the birds of Ceylon. Second edition. Oxford University Press, London. p. 200 The facial disc is mainly brown and the eyes are yellow. There is a white neckband. Sexes are similar in appearance, with no

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...

Distribution and habitat

The chestnut-backed owlet is a common resident bird in the wet zone forests of Sri Lanka, and can be seen easily at sites such as

Kitulgala Kitulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. The Academy Award-winning ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'' was filmed on the Kelani River near Kitulgala, although nothing remains now except the concrete foundations for the bridge. Kitulgala i ...

and Sinharaja. Historical reports of its distribution by

Legge Legge is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Alexander Legge (1866–1933), US businessman, president of International Harvester *Anthony Legge (1939–2013), British archaeologist specialized in zooarchaeology *Arthur Kaye Legge K ...

include many parts of the southern half of Sri Lanka, especially the hills and the wet-zone low country extending to the outskirts of

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...

. In recent times, its range has shrunk greatly, and it is now found sparingly in the remaining forests of the wet zone and the adjoining hills at altitudes of up to above sea level.

Behaviour

This species is diurnal and is frequently seen in the day, especially in the evening. The flight is deeply undulating. It can often be located by the small birds that mob it while it is perched in a tree. It frequents tops of tall trees, usually on steep hill-sides and hence is often missed. It feeds mainly on

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three ...

s, such as

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s, but also captures mice, small lizards, and small birds mostly when the young are being fed. The call is a slow ''kraw-kraw'' and carries for a long distance. It nests in a hole in a tree, laying two eggs.

In culture

In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as ''Pitathabala Vana-Bassa'' (පිටතඔල වන බස්සා in Sinhala).

Notes

References

* Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is near threatened * ''Birds of India'' by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, {{Taxonbar, from=Q1260299 Glaucidium (owl) Endemic birds of Sri Lanka Birds described in 1846 Taxa named by Edward Blyth