Pearl pygmy owl
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Pearl pygmy owl ( Glaucidium perlatum ) |
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| Glaucidium perlatum | ||||||||||
| ( Vieillot , 1818) |
The pearl owl ( Glaucidium perlatum ), also known as the pearl owl, is a small species of pygmy owl . It is a widespread species in Africa and occurs in two subspecies south of the Sahara.
Appearance and voice
The pearl pygmy owl reaches a body size of 17 to 20 centimeters. The head is rounded and feather ears are missing. It is slightly larger and heavier than the Eurasian pygmy owl .
The upper side of the body is brown with small white spots that lead to the name owl. There is an occipital face in the neck . The tail is dark brown with several rows of whitish spots. The underside of the body is whitish with brown longitudinal spots. The barrels are feathered. The eyes are pale yellow. The repertoire of calls is very large. The male sings melodic whistling feu feu feu feu or füh-füh-füh ... . After a short pause, péeeoh péeeoh ... is followed by a falling pitch . The female sings similarly, but a little higher. Males and females often call one another.
Distribution area and habitat
The distribution area of the pearl pygmy owl is sub-Saharan Africa. It stretches from Senegal and Gambia in an easterly direction to Ethiopia , western Somalia and western Sudan . In the southern direction of expansion it extends to the Cape Province. The species is absent from the deserts and dense rainforests of West and Central Africa.
The habitat of the pearl pygmy owl are open savannahs with short or little vegetation, a few isolated trees and thorny bushes. He avoids areas that are made up of tall grass. He also avoids regions where there are no trees.
Way of life
The pearl pygmy owl is predominantly crepuscular. Occasionally it can be seen during the day, and on moonlit nights it also hunts during the night. Due to its powerful legs, it is able to strike relatively large prey. It also attacks insects or bats in flight. Its diet, however, is mainly arthropods, snails, reptiles and, somewhat subordinate, small mammals. Regionally, small birds can also play a larger role in the diet.
Pearl owls are only weakly territorial and only defend the immediate vicinity of the nesting cavity. They are cave breeders and usually use tree hollows. The clutch consists of two to four eggs that are placed directly on the floor of the nest cavity. The laying interval is two days. The female starts brooding before the last egg is laid. The female breeds alone. The male carries prey and passes it on, unlike the pygmy owl in the cave. The incubation period is about 29 days. The nestlings are initially blind. Your eyes open around the age of 12. They are fed by both parent birds. The young birds leave the cave when they are 31 days old. You are then already able to fly short distances. They usually stay near the nest hole and are fed by the parent birds for some time. They reach sexual maturity before the age of one.
supporting documents
Single receipts
literature
- Claus König , Friedhelm Weick: Owls of the World . Christopher Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
Web links
- Glaucidium perlatum inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2013.