Collared Owlet
Quail Sperlingskauz
The Quail pygmy owl ( Glaucidium brodiei ), also called Wachtelkauz, is a small owl species of the genus Sperlingskäuze. It is found only in East Asia.
Appearance and voice
The Quail pygmy reaches a height 15-17 centimeters. The head is gray-brown and has numerous whitish and ocher stains on. Ear tufts are missing. The back is gray-brown with dark and lighter stripes. The species has showy white eyebrows and a white patch on the throat. In the neck there is a Occipitalgesicht.
Area of distribution and habitat
The Quail pygmy settled the Himalayan region of northern Pakistan to China and Taiwan. To the south, spread direction he comes to Malaysia before to Sumatra and Borneo. He is a settled state bird, the submontane and montane forests. He primarily uses clearings, clearcuts and forest edges as habitat. Its altitudinal distribution ranges from about 1350-2750 meters above sea level.
Way of life
The Quail pygmy owl is diurnal and crepuscular. Even in bright sunshine you can occasionally watch him as he crossed the forest clearings and also hunts. He has, overall, a significantly less nocturnal behavior as a variety of other owls. Its diet consists mostly of small birds. In addition, he proposes mice, lizards, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles and other insects. Ornithologists Claus König, Friedhelm Weick and describe him as an extremely bold and aggressive owl that sometimes birds accesses that are almost as big as herself.
In the Himalayas the breeding season occurs during the period March to June. He uses tree hollows as nesting site. The nest usually includes four white eggs.