Collared Owlet

The collared owlet, or collared pygmy owl, is the smallest owl in Asia, 15–17 cm long and about 52–63 g, with females larger than males. It is grey-brown, depending on age and morph, with a barred back and flanks and a head that is more spotted than barred, prominent white eyebrows, vibrant lemon-yellow eyes and a white throat patch, and a mostly white chin, breast centre and belly. Its call starts mellow and grows shriller with excitement while it turns its head in all directions, giving a ventriloquial effect that makes it hard to locate (Wikipedia, general species account).

It has a very large range, from the Himalaya of northern Pakistan to eastern China and Taiwan, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and much of Southeast Asia. Like others of its genus it is a secondary cavity nester: it makes no nest of its own but uses natural tree hollows or chambers made by woodpeckers and barbets. SoIB 2023 rates it a Low conservation priority, a resident and altitudinal migrant of forest with a Moderate range of about 164,000 km² and insufficient data on trends (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).