Photo: lin padgham / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
African Barred Owlet
Glaucidium capense
African Barred Owlet (Glaucidium capense) — Owls of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The African Barred Owlet (Glaucidium capense) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 122 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Glaucidium
- Species capense
Quick facts
- Weight
- 122 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The African Barred Owlet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The African Barred Owlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The African Barred Owlet (Glaucidium capense) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF se, sc, w.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 122 g, with a wing length of about 13.9 cm and a tail of around 8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 4.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the African Barred Owlet?
The African Barred Owlet is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 122 g.
Where does the African Barred Owlet live?
The African Barred Owlet is found across Africa with a range covering AF se, sc, w, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the African Barred Owlet belong to?
The African Barred Owlet (Glaucidium capense) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the African Barred Owlet eat?
The African Barred Owlet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the African Barred Owlet migrate?
The African Barred Owlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the African Barred Owlet endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the African Barred Owlet make?
1 real field recording of the African Barred Owlet can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the African Barred Owlet's range?
The African Barred Owlet has a mapped global range of about 4.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.