The spotted owlet is a small and stocky bird, barely 21 centimetres (8.3 in) in size. The upperparts are grey-brown, heavily spotted with white. The underparts are white, streaked with brown. The facial disc is pale and the iris is yellow. There is a white neckband and supercilium. Sexes are similar. The flight is deeply undulating. The nominate form is darker than the paler forms such as indica of drier regions. A common resident of open habitats including farmland and human habitation, it has adapted to living in cities. They roost in small groups in the hollows of trees or in cavities in rocks or buildings. It nests in a hole in a tree or building, laying 3?5 eggs.
This species is nocturnal but is sometimes seen in the day. When disturbed from their daytime site, they bob their head and stare at intruders. It hunts a variety of insects and small vertebrates. In the arid region of Jodhpur, they have been found to take more rodents prior to the breeding season. Bats, toads, small snakes have been noted. They may also take scorpions and molluscs. Nests near human habitations may show higher breeding success due to increased availability of rodents for feeding young. The young are fed initially on insects such as cockroaches and later fed small vertebrate prey such as mice. The chicks gain weight during the early stages but lose weight before fledging.
