Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pearl-spotted Owlet
Glaucidium perlatum
Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum) — Owls of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 79.2 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 perlatum
Quick facts
- Weight
- 79.2 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 Pearl-spotted Owlet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Pearl-spotted Owlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 79.2 g, with a wing length of about 11 cm and a tail of around 7.8 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 11.9 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pearl-spotted Owlet?
The Pearl-spotted Owlet is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 79.2 g.
Where does the Pearl-spotted Owlet live?
The Pearl-spotted Owlet is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Pearl-spotted Owlet belong to?
The Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Pearl-spotted Owlet eat?
The Pearl-spotted Owlet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pearl-spotted Owlet migrate?
The Pearl-spotted Owlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pearl-spotted 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 Pearl-spotted Owlet make?
1 real field recording of the Pearl-spotted 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 Pearl-spotted Owlet's range?
The Pearl-spotted Owlet has a mapped global range of about 11.9 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.
Explore more birds
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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.