Photo: Punitha Satharasinnghe / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Chestnut-backed Owlet
Glaucidium castanotum
Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanotum) — Owls of South & Southeast Asia.
The Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanotum) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 100 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Glaucidium
- Species castanotum
Quick facts
- Weight
- 100 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Chestnut-backed Owlet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Chestnut-backed Owlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanotum) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Sri Lanka.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 100 g, with a wing length of about 12.6 cm and a tail of around 6.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 47,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Chestnut-backed Owlet?
The Chestnut-backed Owlet is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 100 g.
Where does the Chestnut-backed Owlet live?
The Chestnut-backed Owlet is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Sri Lanka, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Chestnut-backed Owlet belong to?
The Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanotum) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Chestnut-backed Owlet eat?
The Chestnut-backed Owlet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Chestnut-backed Owlet migrate?
The Chestnut-backed Owlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Chestnut-backed Owlet endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Chestnut-backed Owlet make?
1 real field recording of the Chestnut-backed Owlet — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Chestnut-backed Owlet's range?
The Chestnut-backed Owlet has a mapped global range of about 47,000 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.