The forest owlet (Athene blewitti) is a rare, small-sized and diurnal owl endemic to India listed as Endangered in the ICUN red list. It is legally protected under Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The forest owlet was considered extinct for about 113 years before being rediscovered in Khandesh, Maharashtra in 1997. Its geographic distribution is limited to Central India and the Northern Western Ghats with documented records at only five locations in India. It prefers open dry deciduous broad-leaved forests interspersed with agricultural fields or clearings.
The Forest Owlet Project focuses on understanding the population status, distribution and breeding biology of the forest owlet. Our study area is in The Dangs, a district situated in south Gujarat bordering Maharashtra, which forms a part of the northern Western Ghats. The landscape lacks long-term ecological studies and has seen several local extinctions due to hunting and habitat loss. The discovery of the forest owlet has sparked conservation interest, and recognising the forest owlet as a flagship species is crucial for the conservation of other flora and fauna in the landscape.
The main goals of the project are:
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of the population status, occupancy and breeding biology of the forest owlet in the Dangs.
- Identify key stakeholders in the landscape and design participatory approaches towards forest owlet conservation.
- Raise awareness and develop local capacity to preserve the species and its natural habitat.
We aim to create a comprehensive Conservation Action Plan at the landscape level to ensure long-term persistence of the species in the northern western Ghats.