Forest Owlet

Forest Owlet Latest News

Recently, in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh forest owl has been spotted 113 years after it was last seen.

About Forest Owlet

• It is a member of the typical owl family, Strigidae.
• It was first described in 1873. As it was not sighted after 1884, it was considered extinct for many years. In1997, it was rediscovered.
• Habitat: It is mainly found in tropical and subtropical moist lowland woods, dense deciduous woodlands, open dry deciduous teak woods,and tropical and subtropical dry forests.
• Distribution
  • It is endemic to the forests of central India. 
  • It was observed in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and at a few locations in the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.
• Features of Forest Owlet
  • It is a typical owlet with a rather unspotted crown, presence of full throat collar, thickly feathered legs, heavily banded wings, and a tail.
  • These birds are diurnal and have been observed to hunt during the day.
  • They eat rodents, reptiles such as lizards and skinks, and insects.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered
  • CITES:  Appendix I

Source: TOI

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