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 only 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 foun ...

to Sri Lanka. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as

typical owl The true owls or typical owls (family (biology), family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls and bay owls (Tytonidae). This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species ...

s, 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 subs ...

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 sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...

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 30th Academy Awards, 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 ...

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 Le ...

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, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

. 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. 8W0A8337

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 Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

s, such as

beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

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

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

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

Notes

References

* ''Birds of India'' by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, {{Taxonbar, from=Q1260299 Glaucidium (owl) Endemic birds of Sri Lanka Birds described in 1851 Taxa named by Edward Blyth