Fun Brown Fish Owl Facts For Kids

The brown fish owl (Ketupa zeylonensis) is a rather fascinating species of owls that inhabits India, South-Eastern Asia and Sri Lanka. This bird and its various subspecies, such as Ketupa zeylonensis leschenault, have roughly the same features.

They have a buff or golden-yellow colored facial disc and a black or dark colored plumage. There are white streaks on their feathers which give them the most distinguished look.

Their legs are yellow in color and their ear tufts are bushy and glorious. Their white bill creates a sharp contrast to the color of their body, and allows them to easily catch their prey.

Now that we are talking of prey, it is interesting to note that these birds are named so due to the fact that they feed mainly on fishes! They also eat terrestrial animals such as rodents and reptiles.

These owls are predatory and carnivorous and have a rigid hunting ritual. They are also very territorial and are never found in colonies. You will only come across a solitary brown fish owl or a mated pair. At the same time, they are not harmful or aggressive towards humans and pose no harm.

For more relatable content, check out these burrowing owl facts and great grey owl facts for kids.

Brown Fish Owl Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a brown fish owl?

The brown fish owl (Ketupa zeylonensis) is a bird. The streaks on their feathers make them easy to distinguish among the many other types of owls that we can find in their native lands.

What class of animal does a brown fish owl belong to?

These birds belong to the class of Aves, like all the other owls such as Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) and golden masked owls (Tyto aurantia).

How many brown fish owls are there in the world?

While there is no conclusive study that would tell us the exact number of brown fish owls that there are in the world, the vastness of their habitat and their conservation status suggests that the population is nit receding anytime soon!

Where does a brown fish owl live?

Brown fish owls prefer tropical and subtropical regions, and lowlands, where there is a large forest cover. They also prefer to live near water bodies in order to find prey easily. The dense forest cover allows them to make nests on higher branches, which saves them from certain predators.

What is a brown fish owl's habitat?

The distribution of the population of this species is limited to the India, and parts of South Eastern Asia such as Sri Lanka, and China. These owls are in fact endemic to these areas, and are not found elsewhere due to unfavorable climatic conditions.

Who do brown fish owl live with?

This species is not particularly sociable. These birds are found mostly in mated pairs, and not in large colonies. They roost in their respective nests and are very territorial of their home. The population of these birds is therefore scattered.

How long does a brown fish owl live?

While the exact lifespan of this species is not known, the family Strigidae can live up to 25 years. Owls in general can live for a minimum of 5-8 years in the wild.

This gives us a fair idea of the range of a brown fish owl's lifespan.

How do they reproduce?

Brown fish owls are a oviparous species, which means that they reproduce by laying eggs. The female fish owls lay one or two eggs in one breeding season, and the incubation period is of 38 days. The baby is born in the nest and becomes capable of leaving the nest in about seven weeks.

What is their conservation status?

According to the IUCN, the conservation status of the brown fish owls is of Least Concern, which means that their population faces no threat of extinction in the near future.

Brown Fish owl Fun Facts

What do brown fish owl look like?

The brown fish owl (Ketupa zeylonensis) is one of the many birds of the world that have a black or dark brown plumage. What sets this species and its subspecies (such as buffy fish owl) apart are the white streaks on the feathers and a golden-yellow or buff facial disc.

A facial disc is also typical to most owls. The bushy ear tufts and long, dark colored tail also make them easy to recognize.

These birds have yellow colored toes and talons, which may be due to consistent hunting. They also have large wings, with a wing-span that can range between 13.9-17 in (35.5-43.4 cm). They have a white bill which helps them in hunting for fishes and other animals that they prey on.

The three recognized subspecies within the genus Ketupa also have similar features and are called Ketupa zeylonensis orientalis, Ketupa zeylonensis semenowi, Ketupa zeylonensis zeylonensis and, Ketupa zeylonensis leschenault.

How cute are they?

It is safe to say that with their bushy ear tufts, yellow facial discs, long tail, and the beautiful white streaks on their body make them an absolute treat to the eye.

How do they communicate?

These birds have a call that is typical to the family Strigidae. They have a tu-hoo-hoo call, which can then be followed by a high-pitched oo-oo. While our descriptions might have been able to paint the picture for you, it is also important to note that this mode of communication also helps them during the courting season.

How big is a brown fish owl?

The length of a brown fish owl can range between 18.8-22.8 in (48-58 cm). They have the wing-span of about 13.97-17 in (35.5-43.4 cm), which enables them to swoop from the high branches of tress in order to catch prey. To give you better perspective, they are about four times as big as elf owls!

How fast can a brown fish owl fly?

While the range of speed at which this species of owls can fly is not known, the family Strigidae is known for its particularly good flying skills. However, unlike most of its family, the brown fish owl is a fairly noisy flyer due to the streaked and hard feathers on its body.

How much does a brown fish owl weigh?

Brown fish owls can weigh about 2.43-2.9 lb (1.1-1.4 kg). Such light weight bodies allow these birds to be amazing flyers and hunters.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male and female brown fish owl does not have any distinct names, although there is very pronounced difference in their size. The female birds of this species are often larger and heavier than their male counterparts.

Due to the lack of distinguished names, we will have to refer to these natives of Sri Lanka and India as the male brown fish owl and the female brown fish owl respectively.

What would you call a baby brown fish owl?

Like in the case of other owl species, a baby brown fish owl is called an owlet!

What do they eat?

The brown fish owl feeds mainly on fishes, hence their name! They also feed on terrestrial creatures such as crabs, frogs, rodents and click beetles. They use the talons on their legs to perch on the trees and observe their prey from an upper branch of a tree.

Are they poisonous?

Brown fish owls are not poisonous creatures. They are only seen during the night time, and hardly ever enter heavily populated areas.

On the contrary, quite a few brown fish owls die every year from ingesting rodents that are poisoned by industrial or agricultural chemicals. They are also eaten by large animals such as foxes, snakes and eagles, which keeps the food chain going.

Would they make a good pet?

While it is clear that their adorable features are hard to look over, it is very unlikely that this species would be a good option for you if you happen to be looking for a pet. They prefer to be near water bodies and good forest cover - which is impossible to mimic for any household.

Additionally, their diet is strictly carnivorous and too diverse to be kept up with.

Did you know...

The breeding season of this species is between November and March, while most mating takes place in the months of January and February.

This bird species does not migrate, which means that they are permanent residents of their native lands. This is because of the fact that the subtropical and tropical lands where they are found, do not experience harsh winters.

The genus Ketupa is that of fish owls, within which, there are many subspecies. Some of the other types of fish owls are buffy fish owl, tawny fish owl, fishing owl and, Blakiston's fish owl.

Brown fish owls have a very rigid routine. They are nocturnal, and roost until sunset. A little before sunset, they leave their nests for hunting and can be heard "hooting" late into the night!

During the breeding season, courtship between the male and female brown fish owls takes place through feeding rituals!

Why is it called fish owl?

This species is called Fish Oil due to the very simple reason that fishes form almost their entire diet. Their habitat also places them in close proximity to a large variety of fishes, which they devour happily.

How to spot brown fish owl?

There are a few tricks that you can use to spot a brown fish owl, make sure to look at the upper-most branches of the tree, keep a keen eye on any buff-colored adorable facial disc and, most importantly, make sure you're looking near a water body in Sri Lanka or India.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Inca dove facts and red owl facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable owlet coloring pages.