Fun Long-whiskered Owlet Facts For Kids

There are 250 species of owls in total. The whiskered owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi, is a species from this group and was first discovered in 1976. These birds are named as such primarily due to the fact that they have long whiskers attached to the sides of their face. Their facial features are sharp.

The migration of these birds occurs year-round for these species. They are mostly active at dusk hours and not throughout the day. They belong to the genus Xenoglaux. They are brown and whitish in color.

These species are endemic to the Andean mountains in Amazonas and northern Peru and are vulnerable beings hence you will rarely be able to spot them unless you live in a region or are visiting a region native to the species. The long whiskered owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi) is carnivorous and feeds primarily on insects.

It is relatively silent and communicate less than other birds. Keep reading to find out more. For more relatable content, check out these bearded vulture and swallow-tailed kite articles as well.

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Long-Whiskered Owlet Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a long-whiskered owlet?

The long whiskered owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi, is a type of owl that belongs to kingdom Animalia and order Strigiformes. Their scientific name can be translated into a strange owl.

What class of animal does a long-whiskered owlet belong to?

The long whiskered owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi, is a type of bird that belongs to class Aves, and genus Xenoglaux. The genus Xenoglaux means strange owl in the Greek language.

How many long-whiskered owlets are there in the world?

The long whiskered owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi, population is estimated at 250-1000 individuals as per the birdlife International estimates. Given that their habitat is at threat it's difficult for such species to survive. Their population has been affected primarily due to habitat loss.

Where does a long-whiskered owlet live?

The whiskered owlet lives in cloud forest with dense undergrowth in the woods. They are endemic to the Andean mountains in Amazonas and northern Peru.

What is a long-whiskered owlet's habitat?

The long whiskered owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi, live in regions 6200.7-6889.7 ft (1890-2100 m) above sea level. They inhabit regions that have mosses, orchids and ferns, and other epiphytes. Epiphytes are air plants that grow upon another plant. They prefer dense forest regions, but with dense undergrowth, cloud forest, and mountain ranges above sea level.

Who do long-whiskered owlets live with?

The long whiskered owlets live on their own and come together during the breeding season. If you have spotted one, it's likely that you will spot more than just that one in similar regions.

How long does a long-whiskered owlet live?

They have been known to be wise old beings and can live up to 25 years. Larger species tend to live longer as compared to smaller owls. The snowy owl has the longest lifespan as it can live from 9-10 years in the wild and up to 28 years in captivity.

How do they reproduce?

Little information has been recorded about the long whiskered owlet birds of the world and the reproductive behavior of these species since they are few in number and rarely seen. They may build nests in tree holes or other natural cavities. These species are known to be collectively involved in raising their young.

What is their conservation status?

The long whiskered owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi, is classified as Vulnerable to endangered species by the International Union For Conservation Of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN red list long whiskered owlet and information related to other endangered and nonendangered species as well. Long whiskered owlet - endangered is the classification as per Birdlife International status.

Long-Whiskered Owlet Fun Facts

What do long-whiskered owlets look like?

Whiskered owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi, birds look similar to other species of owl however, they have a distinguishing feature which is their long facial whiskers and have a brown-whitish overall appearance. This bird is relatively tiny in size. It has two dark eyes which are orange-brown with blackish-brown eyelids eyes and a small beak and amber eyes.

This orange-brown color is distinctly seen. This bird has excellent night vision and is capable of seeing things in the dark easily.

Its feathers are colored brown, whitish, some parts gray and black as well. Its underparts are lightly colored almost whitish as compared to its upperparts. Males and females are similar in length and size and appearance.

*Please note that this is an image of a whiskered screech owl, not a long whiskered owlet. If you have an image of a long whiskered owlet please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.

How cute are they?

The whiskered owlet is cute to look at and has unique features which set it apart from other species - its whiskers. Its facial features are sharp. It is rare and is seen in a range of dense mountain ranges, cloud forests, and forest habitats.

How do they communicate?

They have a simple and short call 'gruw' which is repeated in regular intervals. Males also make vocalizations to attract possible mates. They also communicate among their own via body language. Their voice is more prominent at night.

How big is a long-whiskered owlet?

The whiskered owlet is 5.11-5.51 in (13-14 cm) in length which is two times bigger than Anna's hummingbird 3.9-4.3 in (9.9- 10.9 cm) in length.

How fast can a long-whiskered owlet fly?

The whiskered owlet can fly at moderately good speeds. The fastest owl in the world is the great horned owl and can fly at speeds of 30 mph (48.3 kph) with increased speeds if necessary.

How much does a long-whiskered owlet weigh?

The whiskered owlet weighs 0.1-0.11 lb (46-51 g). The largest owl in the world is the Blakiston fish owl. It weighs close to a small child.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Males and females are not addressed differently. They are more or less similar in appearance and differ in reproductive functions.

What would you call a baby long-whiskered owlet?

A baby whiskered owlet is referred to as an owlet and is a tiny bird. Little information is known about how big the juveniles are however in most instances both parents are involved in raising the young owlet.

What do they eat?

This tiny bird is mainly a carnivore. It can also be considered mainly insectivorous i.e. feeds on insects and also feeds on lizards and frogs on rare occasions. It mainly attacks using its sharp claws and is known to bring back food to its home range to eat as well and feed their young.

Are they poisonous?

No, they are not poisonous however, it's rare to spot them so if you ever come across them consider yourself lucky. They do not like much human interaction and prefer to stay in their natural habitat away from human interference.

Would they make a good pet?

No, as birds of the world they are innately wild birds and require a small area to live however they thrive best in the forest. Their population status is listed as Vulnerable hence there will be multiple regulations in order to protect such species.

In the United States, it's illegal to own owls as pets. They are only allowed to be possessed by a trained individual and also utilized for educational purposes. You could also visit forests and other similar habitats to see them.

Using a range map too is helpful to find which forests range they are native to. Their scientific name is Xenoglaux loweryi.

Did you know...

Owl lives in all regions of the world except in Antarctica. They are seen in colder regions of the world but not in Antarctica because it's not neotropical. They adjust better to neotropical regions.

Owls have the capacity to rotate their head 270 degrees. Their body parts automatically adapt and support the blood flow to parts accordingly. This is a unique feature of their description.

Some owls hunt for other species of owls. Yes, you heard that right! An example of this is the great horned owl which is a known predator to the smaller barred owl.

The barn owl is known to feed on 1000 mice in a year. They do this each year. They surely are top predators.

Owls hate clapping and other human noises and tend to leave as soon as they hear any such noises. Researchers discovered that owls prefer secluded regions. Researchers discovered this based on proper evidence and studies conducted to prove the same.

'The AUK', A Quarterly Journal Of Ornithology published a research article titled 'A New Genus  And Species Of Owl (Aves: Strigidae)' From Peru written by 'O'Neill' and 'Gary R. Graves'. 'O'Neill' and 'Gary R. Graves' paper is available online if you are interested to read the same.

What's the difference between a long-whiskered owlet and a screech owl?

The long-whiskered owlet primarily howls while the whiskered screech owl screeches. Their scientific name translates to 'strange owl'. The whiskered owlet was not first discovered until 1976.

In the past, such species were seldom known. They are also slightly different in appearance as the whiskered screech owl is lighter as compared to the latter. Whiskered screech owls are dangerous and are known to attack humans but the whiskered owlet is small in size and is rarely seen hence they are relatively less dangerous.

What threats do long-whiskered owlets face?

The major threat that these species have faced is loss of habitat and predators like Royal sunangel and Ochre fronted antpitta. There have been conservation efforts taken from organizations like Alliance for Zero Extinction with funding from the American Bird Conservancy partnered with ECOAN to preserve these species.  

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our burrowing owl facts and griffon vulture fasts pages.  

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Owlet coloring pages.

*Please note that the main image is of a whiskered screech owl, not a long whiskered owlet. If you have an image of a long whiskered owlet please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.