Types of Owls in India:- Overview, Types & Facts [2024]

This article provides an overview of some of the Types of Owls in India, covering their characteristics, habitats, behavior, and significance.

Types of Owls in India Overview

Owls are one of the most fascinating birds found around the world, known for their behavior, distinctive calls, and hunting talents. In India, there are several species of owls, each inhabiting specific ecological zones and regions of the Americas. These species not only maintain ecological importance but are also deeply connected to the cultural and mythological fabric of India.

1. Indian Eagle Owl (Bubo bengalensis)
2. Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)
3. Brown Fish Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis)
4. Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum)
5. Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
6. Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia)
7. Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata)
8. Tawny Fish Owl (Ketupa flavipes)
9. Forest Owlet (Heteroglaux blewitti)
10. Oriental Scops Owl (Otus sunia)
11. Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei)
12. Dusky Eagle Owl (Bubo coromandus)
13. Short-Eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
14. Rock Eagle Owl (Bubo bengalensis)
15. Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena)
16. Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus)
17. Andaman Scops Owl (Otus balli)
18. Little Owl (Athene noctua)
19. Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo)
20. Brown Wood Owl (Strix leptogrammica)

Types of Owls in India

भारत में उल्लुओं की कई प्रजातियाँ पाई जाती हैं, जिनमें से प्रत्येक देश भर में अलग-अलग आवासों के लिए अनुकूलित है। घने जंगलों से लेकर खुले घास के मैदानों तक, ये राजसी निशाचर पक्षी पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र को बनाए रखने में बेहद महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाते हैं, आइए जानते हैं भारत में उल्लुओं के प्रकार

Indian Eagle Owl (Bubo bengalensis)

The Indian Eagle Owl, also known as the Bengal Eagle Owl, is one of India’s most widespread owl species. Recognized for its large size and striking appearance, this owl has a robust body, with prominent ear tufts and attractive orange-yellow eyes. It thrives in rocky and mountainous areas are its favourite habitats.

Habitat and Behavior: The Indian Eagle Owl is mainly found in open forests, rocky areas, and shrubby hills. It is a nocturnal hunter, eating a variety of prey including rodents, birds, and insects. Its deep call can be heard at night and is considered highly territorial.

Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)

The Spotted Owl is a small but extremely attractive owl, often seen perched on trees near human settlements. The Spotted Owl is a common resident of India, recognizable by its bright yellow eyes and white spots on brown feathers.

These owls are adapted to urban environments and can be seen in gardens, parks and wooded areas. They are energetic at dusk and sunrise, hunting small mammals, birds and insects. Their soft, repetitive calls are often heard at night, making them a familiar sound in many parts of India.

Brown Fish Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis)

The brown fish owl is a large, powerful bird found near rivers, lakes and ponds, feeding mainly on fish, amphibians and other aquatic organisms.

It prefers dense forests close to water, commonly seen in the Himalayan foothills, the Western Ghats and central India. Known for its deep, loud call at dawn and dusk, this owl is easily recognisable by its large golden eyes and distinctive feather tufts.

Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum)

The jungle owl (Glaucidium radiatum) is a small, plump owl found in India and Sri Lanka. It lives in forests and wooded areas, hunting insects, small birds, and rodents, and is known for its distinctive whistling call.

Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

The Barn Owl is a medium-sized owl with a distinctive coronary heart-shaped face, seen in many habitats around the world. It is known for its quiet flight and remarkable hunting abilities.

Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia)

The Collared Scops Owl is a small owl with a distinctive “collared” look due to the light-colored feathers around its neck. This owl has small tufted ears and is often found in wooded areas and gardens.

These owls prefer deciduous forests, woodlands, and gardens. They are active at night and eat insects, small birds, and rodents. Their call, a soft, repetitive “woop-woop”, is often heard at dusk.

Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata)

The Mottled Wood Owl is a large, attractive owl with dark brown and gray mottled plumage, which often perfectly matches the bark of the tree it perches on. Their large size, lack of “ear” tufts, and concentrated stripes on the face make them easy to identify.

This species is found in dense forests, including deciduous and evergreen forests. They prefer areas with large, mature trees, which provide excellent shelter and nesting sites.

The Mottled Wood Owl species has 3 subspecies:-

• S. o. ocellata (Lesson, 1839) Found in southern India.
• S. o. grisescens Koelz, 1950 Found in northern India south of the Himalayas.
• S. o. grandis Koelz, 1950 From Gujarat.

Tawny Fish Owl (Ketupa flavipes)

The Tawny Fish Owl is a powerful predator that specializes in hunting fish and other aquatic life, just like its cousin the Brown Fish Owl. Its plumage is dark brown and its wings are colorful. The Tawny Fish Owl has been described as the most “attractive” of the fish owls…

Found near rivers and lakes in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Tawny Fish Owl prefers dense, forested areas near water. Its diet includes fish, crabs, and amphibians. Its deep, resonant calls are often heard at night. Compared to eagle owls of similar height, this fish owl breed has a shorter tail and a heavier body, with larger wings, as well as longer legs with a rough texture on the bottom of their toes that makes them unique.

Forest Owlet (Heteroglaux blewitti)

The Forest Owl (Athene bluewitti) has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2018, with an estimated population of less than 1,000 adult individuals. This distinctive owl is a member of the Strigidae family, and was first described in 1873. This small owl has distinctive yellow eyes and a plump body.

This species is primarily diurnal, hunting insects, small mammals and birds during the day and the Forest Owl is small (23 cm) and plump, they make many different sounds, including a short-duration hissing sound.

Oriental Scops Owl (Otus sunia)

The Oriental Scops Owl (Otus sunia) is found in eastern and southern Asia and is a small, colorful, yellow-eyed owl with erect ears. During the breeding season, Oriental Scops Owls migrate to northern regions of Asia. The owl builds its nest in holes in trees, especially Mahua trees, during February–April.

Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei)

The yellow scops owl (Otus brucei) is found from the Middle East to western and central Asia, sometimes also called the striped scops owl. The yellow scops owl’s call is a range of low, hollow, dove-like calls.

The general color of this yellow scops owl is a uniform gray, with no red markings anywhere on its body. Primarily insectivorous, the yellow scops owl’s diet includes lizards, spiders, insects, and small mammals.

Dusky Eagle Owl (Bubo coromandus)

The dusky eagle-owl (Catupa coromanda) species was first described by John Latham in 1790 as Strix coromanda, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. They are large greyish-brown owls with prominent tufts on their ears.

Short-Eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) Formally described in 1763, this short-eared owl is found in open country and grasslands. The oldest short-eared owl on record was at least 4 years, 4 months old when it was shot in California in 1970. The oldest short-eared owl was banded in British Columbia in 1966.

Eleven subspecies of this species are recognized:-

• A. f. portoricensis – Ridgway, 1882: Found in Puerto Rico
• A. f. bogotensis – Chapman, 1915: found in Colombia, Ecuador and northwestern Peru
• A. f. galapagoensis – (Gould, 1837): found on the Galápagos Islands[7]
• A. f. pallicaudus – Friedman, 1949: found in Venezuela, Guyana and Surinam
• A. f. suinda – (Vieillot, 1817): found from southern Peru and southern Brazil to Tierra del Fuego
• A. f. sanfordi – Bangs, 1919: found on the Falkland Islands
• A. f. sandwichensis – (A. Bloxam, 1827): Pueo or Hawaiian short-eared owl – found on the Hawaiian Islands[8]
• A. f. ponapaensis – Mayr, 1933: found on Pohnpei in the Caroline Islands
• A. f. flammeus – (Pontopidon, 1763): Nominate subspecies, found in North America, Europe, North Africa, and northern Asia
• A. f. cubensis – Garrido, 2007: Found in Cuba
• A. f. dominguensis – (Statius Müller, 1776): Found on Hispaniola

Rock Eagle Owl (Bubo bengalensis)

The rock eagle owl, also known as the Indian great horned owl, is a subspecies of the Indian eagle owl. It shares many physical characteristics with its cousin, including large ear tufts and bright yellow eyes.

Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena)

The Indian Scops Owl (Otus baikamoena) has small tufts on its ears and is native to South Asia. The Indian Scops Owl is a small owl measuring 23–25 cm (9.1–9.8 in), although it is the largest of the Scops owls. It feeds mainly on insects. Its voice is a soft single note (“wuk?”). It nests in tree holes and lays 3-5 eggs. The source of information is taken from Wikipedia.

Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus)

It is also called the northern long-eared owl or informally the little horned owl or cat owl. The long-eared owl is a rare migratory species in India, characterized by its long ear tufts and attractive orange eyes. It is usually found in northern India during the winter months. Their voices are usually deep, and they are known for their quiet, efficient hunting techniques.

Four subspecies of long-eared owl are recognized:

• A. o. otus (Linnaeus, 1758) – This is the nominate subspecies and is distributed throughout the species’ range in the Palaearctic.
• A. o. canariensis (Madaraz, 1901) – This subspecies is endemic to the Canary Islands.
• A. o. wilsonianus (Lesson, 1830) – This subspecies is found from south-central and south-eastern Canada to the southern USA.
• A. o. tuftsii Godfrey, 1948 – Ranges from western Canada to the south-central United States.

Andaman Scops Owl (Otus balli)

The Andaman Scops Owl is an endemic species found only in the Andaman Islands. This small owl has a distinct call and is identified by its dark brown plumage and small size. The Andaman Scops Owl is between 18 and 19 cm tall. It feeds on a variety of insects such as caterpillars and beetles and hunts mostly at night.

These owls live in the dense forests and mangroves of the Andaman Islands. Their loud, repetitive calls can often be heard echoing through the forest at night. The species prefers to live in trees in semi-open areas.

Little Owl (Athene noctua)

The little owl is a small owl with bright yellow eyes and a round head. It is a rare species in India, found mainly in the northwestern parts of the country. The skin, head and claws of Athene noctua are pink and the beak and claws are pale white or grey.

The longest lifespan of A. noctua in the wild is 15 years and 7 months, the lifespan of little owls is mostly limited by the availability of prey and nesting sites, but predation, parasites, weather and human impact also affect longevity. Owls of this breed often have loud, high-pitched calls during the day.

Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo)

The Eurasian Eagle Owl is one of the largest owl species in the world, and lives in a wide variety of habitats from forests to rocky canyons, but is not generally found in abundance anywhere. With its huge size, large ear tufts, and bright orange eyes, this owl is an impressive sight.

Brown Wood Owl (Strix leptogrammica)

The Brown Wood Owl is a large, attractive owl with dark brown feathers and a distinctive facial disc. It is commonly found in the forests of the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, and Northeast India. Brown Wood Owls are known for their large size and quiet flight, which makes them efficient night hunters.

15 Amazing & Fun Owl Facts

Here are 15 amazing and fun owl facts you must know if you are an owl lover:

• Owls have special feathers that make their flight nearly silent.

   

• Owls can turn their heads 270 degrees, not a full 360!

   

• They have exceptional night vision, perfect for hunting in the dark.

   

• Not all owls hoot; some screech or whistle.

   

• Owls have forward-facing eyes, giving them a very good depth perception.

   

• They’re not ears! They’re just feathers used for camouflage.

   

• Their ears are asymmetrically positioned to improve their ability to detect sounds.

   

• Owls have two forward-facing and two backward-facing toes.

   

• Owls can catch prey larger than themselves.

   

• They swallow their prey whole, including bones and fur.

   

• They spit out the indigestible parts as owl pellets.

   

• Owls vary in size from the tiny Elf Owl to the large Great Horned Owl.
• Owls live on every continent except Antarctica.

   

• The shape of their faces helps transmit sound to their ears.

   

• Most owls prefer to live alone, except during mating season.