Glaucidium capense
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The African barred owlet (Glaucidium capense) is a species of small owl in the family Strigidae found in much of southern, central and eastern Africa. The taxon may be four species rather than a single species. The African barred owlet is a small owlet that shows some geographic variation (see Taxonomy). The nominate subspecies is greyish brown above with fine buff bars and a narrow white eyebrow. The scapulars and greater wing coverts have white outer webs with dark brown tips and form a white stripe across the shoulder and the folded wing. The brown chest is finely barred with buff and the breast and flanks are white with brown spots. The underwing coverts, legs and vent are white, while the flight feathers and tail are brown barred with rufous. The bill and cere are dull greenish yellow and the eyes, legs and feet are yellow. Length is about 17 cm (6.7 in) and wingspan is about 40 cm (16 in).
The call of the African barred owlet is a series of single pitched purring notes. G. capense is endemic to Southern and Eastern Africa from Kenya and the Eastern Cape to Western Angola. The African barred owlet occurs in open habitats... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 2 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 3 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Mikumi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 6 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 7 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 8 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 9 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 11 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 12 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dullstroom Bird Of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Barred Owlet sighting in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 198th most-seen of the 257 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Barred Owlet in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–July and September–April, the lowest months. Those are among South Luangwa National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 310 mm in January.
Between 5 and 8 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Barred Owlet sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
11th of 12
Of the 12 parks where we can rate African Barred Owlet sightings, South Luangwa National Park ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kafue National Park (Zambia, about 20%), Liwonde National Park (Malawi, about 20%) and Ruaha National Park (Tanzania, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Barred Owlet is recorded against all the birds logged in South Luangwa National Park (18 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
