The Forest Owlet Heteroglaux blewitti: vocalization, breeding biology and conservation

The little-known, endemic Forest Owlet Heteroglaux blewitti was studied from June 1998 to June 1999 in Maharashtra, India. Vocalizations associated with contact, courtship feeding and food solicitation were recorded and sonagrams are presented for the first time. The nesting period started in October 1998 and continued until May 1999. Four nests were located and three were monitored for intensive studies on the breeding biology. Thirty days were spent on incubation ( n  = 2), mainly performed by the female while the male supplied food to the female and chicks. The observed brood size was two. The chicks fledged at 40 days but were dependent on their parents for food and protection for a further 45 days. The very low population density of the species could be due to degraded and fragmented habitat, scarcity of nest-sites or cronism observed in the species.