Spotted owlet, Bangkok, Thailand

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Big stare for a little owl. Spotted owlet, Bangkok, Thailand

Think you can win a staring contest with one of these? With piercing yellow eyes against a grey-brown face, spotted owlets are often seen when small birds spot them during the day and mob them. Once located, these primarily nocturnal owls will often stare down intruders, bob their heads and emit a loud 'chirurrr-chirurrr-chirurrr' screech, or what's sometimes described as laughter or chuckling.

Standing around 21 centimetres tall, speckle-plumed spotted owlets can be found from Iran to Vietnam. This one was photographed in Bangkok, Thailand. They primarily eat insects and small mammals like bats and mice, which they often store to eat later when food is scarce. Spotted owlets are a remarkably resilient species that flourish in environments such as semi-deserts, rocky areas, forests, farmlands and urban areas. While they aren't endangered, the spotted owlet's population is thought to have declined in the last four years, perhaps owing to loss of habitat and increased urbanisation.