Albertine owlet
The Albertine owlet or Prigogine's owlet, is a small species of small owl in the family Strigidae, native to the Albertine Rift montane forests.
Taxonomy
Some authorities include the Albertine owlet as a subspecies of the African barred owlet, but others, including Birdlife, treat it as a separate species.Description
The Albertine owlet is very similar to the African barred owlet and is a small, large-headed owl with no "ear-tufts". The head is heavily spotted with whitish flecks, the upper parts are maroon-brown and the mantle and back are not barred. The chin, throat and upper breasts are maroon with broad creamy bars, and the rest of the underparts are off-white with dark chestnut spots, mainly on the flanks. The tail is brown with large white spots. The eyes are pale yellow. The body length is.Distribution and habitat
The Albertine owlet is known from just a few specimens, two were collected in the Itombwe Mountains and two more in forest west of Lake Edward at in altitude in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as one in Nyungwe Forest in western Rwanda. There has also been a sight record from Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, west of Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.The Albertine owlet occurs in very open montane forest and its ecotone where there are many clearings and a dense undergrowth. It probably occurs at elevations of up to.