Spot-bellied eagle owl

#GS-03 Biodiversity Conservation

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

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