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Himalayan Owl - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 21:12, 28 April 2019 by Deliatodd-18346 (talk | contribs) (C/right. References updated)
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Photo © by firozhussain
Arunachal Pradesh, India, February 2016
Strix nivicolum

Strix nivicola

Identification

L 35-40 cm (13¾-15¾)
A mid-sized, dark-eyed and earless owl.
Broadly banded wings and tail, double pale wing-bars and heavily mottled, feathered tarsi. Dark, black-rimmed facial disk with a pale X across the centre of the face. Unstreaked but heavily mottled and vermiculated upperparts with a broad pale-spotted hindcollar. Coarse dark streaks and cross-bars below.

Similar Species

Darker and more heavily marked than Tawny Owl.

Distribution

Found from Nepal to northeast India, southeast China, northern Burma, northern Indochina, northeast China, Korea and Taiwan.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Three subspecies recognized[1]:

Was formerly considered conspecific with Tawny Owl.

Habitat

Coniferous forest, oak forest, especially in rocky forested ravines.

Behaviour

A purely nocturnal species, hiding in trees by day. Does not get close to humans.

Diet

Feeds on beetles, small birds and small mammals.

Breeding

Breeds in late winter and spring in a tree-hole or a rocky hollow.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672

Recommended Citation

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