Name:Athene brama
Alias:Athene brama,Spotted Owlet
Outline:Bird of prey
Family:Strigiformes Owl
length:20-26cm
Weight:100-185g
Life:About 10-20 years
IUCN:LC
Spotted Owlet, also known as Spotted Owlet, has 5 subspecies.
Spotted Owlet often moves alone or in pairs, roosting in tree holes or branches during the day, and can roost in pairs or small groups. It is mainly active at night. Flying quickly, the flight is very choppy, including some rapid wing spreads, followed by gliding, with the wings pressed against the body. It often catches food by waiting and quickly pursuing. It hunts mainly at dusk and at night, but can sometimes be seen during the day. It often waits quietly on the top of a tree or electric pole in an open area, waiting for prey to appear on the ground nearby or fly low over it, and then suddenly attacks from a high position to hunt. Occasionally catches insects in flight. It often uses street lights as a hunting base to prey on insects attracted by the lights. It mainly feeds on rodents and coleoptera insects, and also preys on small birds, lizards, frogs and other small animals.
The call of the Barred Owl is a hoarse and piercing "chirurrr-chirurrr-chirurrr" followed by "cheevak, cheevak, cheevak". It also makes noisy and incoherent screams and laughter-like sounds.
The breeding season of the Little Owl is from February to April for the northern population and from November to March of the following year for the southern population. The nests are built in natural tree holes or in the walls and building cavities of human residences. When suitable trees for nesting are scarce, nests may also be built in caves on both sides of gullies and earth cliffs. Sometimes they like to lay grass leaves and feathers in the nest. Each nest lays 3-5 eggs, which are round or oval in shape and 29-33 mm × 25-28 mm in size, with an average of 32.2 mm × 27 mm. Incubation begins after the first egg is laid. This results in asynchronous hatching of the chicks, and there is considerable difference in the size of the chicks during the brooding period. The female bird incubates the eggs.
The global population size of the Little Owl has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be common throughout most of its range. Trends confirmed: The species population is considered stable without any evidence of decline or major threats.
Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 ver3.1 - Least Concern (LC).
Listed in Appendix I, II and III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) 2019 edition Appendix II.
Listed in China's "National Key Protected Wildlife List" (February 5, 2021) Level 2.
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