Owls of India are fascinating species which are mostly nocturnal and elite raptors. They have huge eyes which aid their sight during the night. India is home to over 1300 species of birds and has over 30 species of Owls.
Depending on the size of the Owl, they hunt from a wide variety of food sources. An owls diet includes insects, reptiles, and sometimes even small mammals. Owls have specially made wings which don’t make a flapping sound when they fly, which makes them deadlier when they hunt.
The Owls can rotate their head almost 360 degrees. Thanks to the excess bones in the neck of an owl help them do that. Owls have a prominent place in Indian culture, both good and bad.
Here’s a partial list of the many types of owls most commonly found in India.
Spotted Owlet – Athene Brama
Spotted Owlet is a small Owl which has adapted well to the cities. Found in open farmlands and usually roost as a small group in hollow tree holes. Spotted Owlets are nocturnal mostly, but they are found during the day sometimes. These Owls feed on insects and rodents based on the availability.
- Length: 21 cm or 8.3′
- Breeding Season: November to April
- Eggs: 3-5
Brown Hawk Owl – Ninox scutulata
Also known as Brown Boobook is a small Owl which is widespread in South Asia. It nests in thickly wooded habitat and lays about three to five eggs in a tree hole. This Owl feeds on insects, small reptiles, and birds.
Jungle Owlet – Glaucidium Radiatum
Jungle Owlet or Barred Jungle Owlet a small bird with a round head and small bars. This species of the Owl has habitation across India and Srilanka. Jungle Owlet gives a distinctive call and is active during Dawn and Dusk.
Barn Owl – Tyto alba
Barn Owl is one of the most widespread birds and widely distributed Owls in the World. Barn Owls are found almost everywhere on the planet barring the Arctic, Himalayas, Deserts and some Pacific Islands. It is nocturnal mostly, but there are instances where it was found hunting during the day. Barn Owls have an acute sense of hearing that assist them to hunt. These owls feed mainly on small mammals and rodents.
Indian Scops Owl – Otus Bakkamoena
Indian Scops Owl is one of the largest of Scops Owl species is small at 23-25 cms. Like the other Scops Owls, Indian Scops Owl has a smaller head, tuffs and ears. This nocturnal bird mainly feeds on insects and is almost impossible to spot during the day.
Oriental Scops Owl – Otus Sunia
Oriental Scops owl is a resident of Eastern and Southern Asia. Mostly found in the dry deciduous forests this Owl is a Smallish scops-owl with bright yellow eyes. Oriental Scops Owl is nocturnal its activity begins during sunset, it roosts during the day mostly solitarily or in a small group. It feeds mainly on insects, spiders, and sometimes on small vertebrates.
Indian Eagle Owl – Bubo Bengalensis
Also known as Rock Eagle-Owl and Bengal Eagle-owl is resident to the Indian Subcontinent and one of the biggest Owl in India. This species of Owls roost largely in hilly terrain, rocky scrub hills usually in a pair. Their diet mainly consists of rodents, during winter the Indian Eagle Owls feed on other birds like Partridges, Doves, Shikra, Indian Roller and Spotted Owlets. They are elite predators and don’t hesitate to attack a large bird like a Peafowl.
Mottled Wood Owl – Strix Ocellata
Mottled Wood Owl is a large Owl found in India. This Owl species resides in Gardens, forests around farmland, and dry thorny forests. These Owls usually roost in a dense grove of trees. There is no difference in the appearance of the male and female. They call during the dawn and dusk.
Brown Fish Owl – Ketupa Zeylonensis
Brown Fish Owl is widely distributed and inhabits in forests and wooded wetlands. It is an all-year resident and usually does not stray away from water bodies or rivers. It is nocturnal and sometimes seen during the day when mobbed by other birds. Unlike other species of Owls, Brown Fish Owl has a noisy wing beat.
Dusky Eagle-Owl – Bubo Coromandus
Dusky Eagle-Owl is widespread in South and Southeast Asia. The Dusky Eagle-Owl is nocturnal and usually seen during the sunset. It hunts during the day sometimes when the weather is cloudy or overcast.
Spot Bellied Eagle Owl – Bubo Nipalensis
Spot Bellied Eagle Owl or Forest Eagle Owl is a large bird of prey with an intimidating appearance. This elite raptor nocturnal and becomes active during dusk. Although Spot Bellied Eagle Owl Spot Bellied Eagle Owl nocturnal, it is seen hunting during daytime in forests with minimum human activity. Spot Bellied Eagle-owl inhabits across the Indian sub-continent and south-east Asian countries.
Brown wood owl – Strix Leptogrammica
Brown wood Owl is a resident breeder of South Asia, found in India, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, South China and Taiwan. It is mostly nocturnal, and not found in dense forests. The diet of Brown Owl usually include Reptiles, Small birds, and small animals.
Brown Wood Owl is particularly vocal during moonlit nights. Female is bigger when compared to the male, and the clutch usually contains two eggs.
Tawny Fish Owl – Ketupa Flavipes
Tawny Fish Owl lives in the sub-tropical forests in North India, Nepal, and Other Sout-east nations of Asia. The diet of Tawny Fish Owls includes Fish, Toads, Reptiles, and small mammals.
Tawny Fish Owls are mainly nocturnal but are seen active during the day while feeding their fledgelings. This species of Owl which is highly territorial and solitary uses as many as 17 different roosting sites.
Owl Facts
- A group of Owls is called a Parliament, most of the Owl species like being solitary barring the Spotted Owlet.
- There are approximately 150 Owl species worldwide.
- Smallest of the Owls grows to about 5 inches.
- Female of the species is larger than the males.
- Owls mate/pair for life.
- Owls are found throughout the globe, barring Antarctica.
