Asian Barred Owlet

The Asian barred owlet is a small owl that sits at 22–25 cm (8.7–9.8 in). The males weigh 150–176 g (0.331–0.388 lb) and the females up to 240 g (0.53 lb). Like most owls in the true owl family, the females are usually larger than the males. They are dark brown or olive-brown with a white throat patch and are densely barred. Their breast and belly is whitish in colour with dark brown bars. Its tail and wings are dark brown with whitish bars. Unlike other pygmy owl species, they do not have false eyes on the back of their head. The juveniles have a streaked breast, not barred, and their head is a more ruddy brown colour. They are similar in appearance to the Javan owlet and collared owlet. The Asian barred owlet is mainly diurnal and will perch on bare branches to hunt freely throughout the day. Being more active during the day, they can often be mobbed by smaller birds and will sit still during the mobbing. Similar to other owlets, they have an undulating flight pattern, a series of rapid flaps then a pause with closed wings.

Asian barred owlets are commonly found in woodland habitats such as forests of pine and oak, subtropical and tropical evergreen jungles at lower elevations. They can also be found in foothills to submontane regions 2,100 m (6,900 ft) in elevation. The highest recorded sighting was at 2,700 m (8,900 ft) in the Himalayas of north Pakistan. They also sometimes live around developed areas in gardens and parks. Asian barred owlets have also displayed a preference for secondary forests over primary forests in parts of their range. Asian barred owlets are widespread in the mainland of southeast Asia. They can be found in southeast China, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, northeast India and the foothills of the Himalayas into Pakistan.

Their diet mainly consists of insects, such as beetles, grasshoppers and cicadas. They will also eat lizards, small rodents, such as mice, and small birds. They hunt from a perch and will catch birds in the air. They have been observed catching common quail (Coturnix coturnix) in flight, snatching them from the air if they fly past.