Owls

Short-eared Owl

A medium-sized, heavily-streaked buff, terrestrial owl with long wings. Upperparts and breast streaked blackish on buff ground colour. Upper primaries
are yellowish with black tips and white trailing edge. Under-wing whitish with black tips and carpal crescents. A small head with short ear tufts and bold facial disc; black mask round small yellow irises. Cat-like face. Sexes alike. Diurnal hunter covering ground buoyantly. Rests in grass clumps or in shade of thorn
bush. If flushed often flies high when may be mobbed by raptors or corvids. Will perch on posts.

Brown Hawk Owl

A slim, medium-sized, very dark owl with long banded tail. Chocolate brown with some white on back and wings and heavily-streaked underparts. Andaman and Nicobar race all dark. Face mainly dark. No ear tufts. Irises yellow. Sexes alike. Hunts, singly or in pairs, insects, birds and other animals from favoured perch. Sweeping hawk-like flight with flaps and long glides. Usually crepuscular or nocturnal, roosting in thick canopy. Will also hunt on cloudy days. Nests in tree hole.

Brown Fish Owl

Huge, flat-headed, brown streaked owl with horizontally held ear tufts and yellow irises. Dark brown above with buff feather edges. Dark streaking on paler underparts. Yellow irises. Broad barred wings and very short tail. Scarcer Tawny Fish Owl is larger, richer brown with heavier streaking below and whitish forehead. Sexes alike. Mainly nocturnal, roosting in leafy trees. Hunts fish, crabs and frogs.

Dusky Eagle Owl

Sexes alike. Pale grey-brown plumage, profusely spotted, streaked and . marked with white, mostly below; dark shaftstripes; prominent ear-tufts and dull yellow eyes diagnostic. Mostly pairs, sometimes three to four scattered; has favoured roost-sites in large, leafy trees; may call and fly during daytime.

Barn Owl

Sexes alike. Dull golden-buff above, finely speckled black and white; white below, often with fine , dark spots; heart-shaped, white facial disc striking. Solitary or in pairs; nocturnal, but sometimes hunts during day; normally rests during day, mostly in a tree-cavity, dense creepers or some dark loft; perches upright; flies silently, mostly under 4m from ground; pounces on prey.

Asian Barred Owlet

Small, relatively long-tailed owl, with darkly barred body; similar to Jungle, but larger, with buff, not rufous, primaries; body not so finely barred; longer, broader tail; lower flanks streaked not barred; heavily barred crown contrasts with spotted of Collared; also, no hind neck ‘face’; solitary, or in pairs; diurnal; often perches in open to search for prey; wags tail from side to side when disturbed or alarmed; undulating flight.

Spotted Owlet

Sexes alike. No ear tufts. Greyish-brown plumage, spotted white. Yellowish eyes; broken whitish-buff nuchal collar. Young birds more thickly-marked white; darkish streaks below breast. Pairs or small parties; roosts during day in leafy branches, tree cavities or cavities in walls; active in some localities during daytime; disturbed birds fly to neighbouring tree or branch and bob and stare at intruder.

Jungle Owlet

Sexes alike. Lacks ear tufts. Darkish brown above, barred rufous and white; flight feathers barred rufous and black; white moustachial stripe, centre of
breast and abdomen; remainder of underbody barred dark rufous-brown and white. The Asian Barred Owlet G. cuculoides (23cm) of the Himalaya is slightly larger and has abdominal streaks. Solitary or in pairs; crepuscular, but sometimes also active and noisy by day; otherwise spends day in leafy branch; flies short distance when disturbed.

Collared Scops Owl

Sexes alike. Small ear tufts and upright posture. Greyish-brown above, profusely marked whitish; buffy nuchal collar diagnostic; buffy-white underbody, streaked and mottled dark. The very similar Indian Scops Owl O. bakkamoena is mostly distinguished by its call. Solitary or in pairs; remains motionless during day in thick, leafy branches or at junctions of stems and branches; very difficult to spot; flies around dusk.

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