Forest Owlet

FOREST OWLET

The forest owlet (Athene blewitti) is an owl that is endemic to the forests of central India. This bird is on the verge of extinction.

The forest owlet is small and stocky. It is a typical owlet with a rather unspotted crown and heavily banded wings and tail. They have a relatively large skull and beak.

Until its rediscovery in 1997, this owl was known from only seven specimens collected in the nineteenth century, in northern Maharashtra, and south-east Madhya Pradesh /western Orissa.

 In November 1997 a group of American ornithologists rediscovered the species in the foothills of the Satpura Range, north-east of Bombay.

The forest owlet remains critically endangered, and the current population has been estimated at less than 250.

The original specimens were collected in dense jungle, and the recent sightings in more open forest may represent suboptimal habitat. The forest in the plains in its range has been totally cleared, and there is pressure on the remaining forest resources