Spot-bellied eagle owl
#GS-03 Biodiversity Conservation
For Prelims
Spot-bellied eagle owl
- Spot-bellied eagle owl is also known as the forest eagle-owl.
- They are located in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
- In India, they can be found in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram.
- They are highly dependent on forest and can usually be found in altitudes ranging from 300 to 3000 meters.
- They have been known to consume mammals (of manageable size), a variety of birds (especially pheasants), reptiles (including large monitor lizards), amphibians and fish.
- The breeding season of these spot-bellied eagle-owl species varies based on its location.
- In Himalayan region they breed during February and March.
- In Sri Lanka, the breeding season is during the month of April and May while in southern India its during the month of December and January.
- Both the male and female parent have been known to incubate the egg.
- The spot-bellied eagle-owl is a non-migratory resident bird but they may make local movements for feeding and breeding within their range.
- The global population size of the spot-bellied owl (Bubo nipalensis) has not yet been measured.
- However, the overall population trend of these species is believed to be stable.
Scientific Name : Bubo nipalensis
IUCN Status : Least Concern
CITES : Appendix II
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Source “Spot-bellied eagle owl spotted in A.P.’s Seshachalam forest for the first time”
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