Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanotum)
About the Chestnut-backed Owlet
The chestnut-backed owlet (Glaucidium castanotum) (often misspelled Glaucidium castanonotum), is an owl which is endemic to Sri Lanka. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most of the smaller owl species. This species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the jungle owlet. The chestnut-backed owlet is small and stocky, measuring 19 cm (7.5 in) in length. It resembles the jungle owlet in shape, size and appearance but the upperparts, scapulars and wing coverts are mainly chestnut brown, with darker barring. The underparts are white with blackish shaft-streaks. The facial disc is mainly brown and the eyes are yellow. There is a white neckband. Sexes are similar in appearance, with no sexual dimorphism.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 31 recordings for this species: 16 CC BY-NC-SA · 15 CC BY-NC-ND. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in Sri Lanka in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Related species you can hear
- Andean Pygmy OwlGlaucidium jardiniirecording
- Austral Pygmy OwlGlaucidium nanarecording
- Central American Pygmy OwlGlaucidium griseicepsrecording
- Colima Pygmy OwlGlaucidium palmarumrecording
- Eurasian Pygmy OwlGlaucidium passerinumrecording
- Ferruginous Pygmy OwlGlaucidium brasilianumrecording
This species has no recording here yet — these relatives do, so you can hear what the family sounds like.