This is a young one of a spotted owlet and he is busy having a good look at the world outside.
The parents are sitting on the opposite branch and one of them keeps a constant watch on the little one.
When one is awake, the other one is asleep (almost)
Spotted this family in Wanowrie and the hole in the big tree was a perfect natural nest for them
If you wait long enough you can see how the young one keeps changing its position in the nest
While its common name is self-explanatory, it is interesting to note that the scientific name of this small owl, Athene brama, has been derived from two divine, mythological figures: a Greek goddess and a Hindu god. In Greek mythology, Athene (or Athena) is known as the goddess of wisdom, war, and liberal arts; and the goddess holds a special bond with the bird. Brahma is a supreme Hindu god, who holds the honorary position of being the Creator.
Although listed as ‘Least Concern’ (LC) in the IUCN Red List, it is important to understand how rapid tree-felling significantly impacts this species. Loss of trees means the loss of tree cavities for owlets.
Owls cannot move their eyes, therefore, they have to move their entire head to look around and can turn their head 180 degrees. This is possible because owls have an extra vertebra in their spine. I am glad we have such huge trees and hope we humans have the good sense of not cutting down these huge trees as many birds and micro organisms depend on them and help in sustaining life on this earth. Have captured a part of their moment and compiled it into a video.
Last month I was lucky to spot the nest of a pair of the Woolly necked stork.
This was a first time for me as I had never seen them before. My camera was running when the second bird landed in the nest.
Inspite of their size, this Is one of the least studied species of the birds in the world.
Unlike human beings, their eyelids move from front to back and they do a lot of blinking.
Here too I got some good footage and made it into a video
It was nice to see them flying gracefully.
