- Phodilus badius
Identification
The Oriental Bay Owl (Phodilus badius) is a type of owl, usually classified with barn owls. It has a heart-shaped face with earlike extensions. This small to medium sized owl is distinctive in its strikingly marked, angular face - a dark V-shaped marking running down the centre of the face, between the eyes, contrasts with the pale chestnut brown colouration. The head is broad and there is no narrowing at the neck. The legs are long and fully feathered. The underside of the body has dark flecks and the back and short, rounded wings are dark chestnut brown, spotted with black and yellow. The ears are slightly tufted
Distribution
India through southeast Asia to Greater Sundas.
Taxonomy
Sri Lanka Bay Owl was formerly considered conspecific.
Subspecies
Clements recognizes these subspecies[1]:
- P. b. saturatus from Sikkim and northeast India to south China, Myanmar, Thailand and Indochina.
- P. b. badius on the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Nias Island
- P. b. arixuthus on Bunguran Island (Natuna Islands)
- P. b. parvus on Belitung Island (off southwest Borneo)
Habitat
Woodland, plantations and mangrove swamps.
Behaviour
It nests in hollow trees and tree stumps, laying between 3-5 eggs. Its diet includes small mammals, small birds, reptiles, frogs and insects. It is completely nocturnal.
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, M. Smith, and C. L. Wood. 2024. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2024. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2024. IOC World Bird List (v 14.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.14.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Oriental Bay Owl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Oriental_Bay_Owl
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
