Asian Barred Owlet

The Asian barred owlet, or cuckoo owlet, is a pygmy owl 22–25cm long, one of the larger pygmy owls; males weigh 150–176g and females up to 240g. It is dark brown or olive-brown with a white throat patch and is densely barred, with a whitish breast and belly barred dark brown and a dark brown tail and wings with whitish bars. Juveniles have a streaked breast rather than a barred one (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is native to the forests and shrublands of mainland South-east Asia to the Himalayan foothills of northern Pakistan. It is primarily insectivorous but also eats lizards, small rodents and birds. It is mainly diurnal and perches on bare branches to hunt through the day. The male song is a trill lasting 5–20 seconds, growing louder and harsher before stopping abruptly (Wikipedia, general species account).