Fun Forest Eagle Owl Facts For Kids
Gallery
The forest eagle owl, or spot-bellied eagle owl, (Bubo nipalensis) is a predatory bird of Asia with an intimidating appearance. It belongs to the family of Strigidae and preys on other birds.
Like most other owls, the forest eagle owl or spot-bellied eagle owl (Bubo nipalensis) is nocturnal by nature. They prefer to hide in the dense foliage of large forest trees.
However, studies have observed that they have been moving and even hunting during the day, especially in a forest with minimal human disturbance. They are most active at dusk as they begin to hunt. In larger forest owls, non-nocturnal behavior is not uncommon.
If you find facts about rare animals of the world interesting, please read on! For more relatable content, check out these Andean condor facts and red-backed shrike facts for kids.
Forest Eagle Owl Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a forest eagle owl?
The forest eagle owl (Bubo nipalensis) is related to the Strigidae family; the genus Bubo is an owl.
What class of animal does a forest eagle owl belong to?
The forest eagle owl (Bubo nipalensis) is a superspecies of owl that belongs to the class of birds, Aves.
How many forest eagle owls are there in the world?
The global population of the forest eagle owl (Bubo nipalensis) has not been quantified; however, the species is rare and localized to east Asia.
The IUCN Redlist reported its population trend to be decreasing due to continuous habitat loss.
Where does a forest eagle owl live?
The forest eagle owl is known to be nocturnal by nature and is usually found to inhabit dense, old evergreen forests or moist deciduous rainforests, the tropical valleys of Terrai and Shola in Kerala in India, areas of temperate woodlands in Nepal, tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia, and tropical foothills of the Himalayas.
What is a forest eagle owl's habitat?
The forest eagle owl's distribution starts from the Lower Himalayas, i.e. Kumaon east to Burma, then central Laos and central Vietnam. The large superspecies of Bubo nipalensis is also found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the peninsular of northeast Asia, southeast Asia, and down into the southernmost parts of Sri Lanka and to 12 degrees north in southern Thailand.
The spot-bellied eagle owl is mainly found in the primary or older second-growth forests of these parts of the world.
Their habitat preference comes from their natural habit of roosting during the day in the densely foliaged forests. They are non-migratory birds.
Who do forest eagle owls live with?
The spot-bellied eagle owl (Bubo nipalensis) is usually found alone or in pairs before mating.
How long does a forest eagle owl live?
The average life span of a forest eagle owl (Bubo nipalensis) is 25-50 years. The primary threat affecting their longevity is persecution from the local community.
How do they reproduce?
The breeding season of these spot-bellied, or forest eagle, owls is usually from December-January in Kerala in southern India. The breeding season further north ranges from February-March in the Himalayas.
The nest of this species is normally a hollow in an old tree. However, this species of spot-bellied eagle owl, like many other birds from all over the world, may also use deserted nests built by larger birds like kites and vultures. Sometimes, they will nest in a cave or a horizontal fissure in a rock scarp.
Only one egg is laid per cycle. Like other owls, their eggs are white and shaped like a roundish oval and averages 2.4 x 1.9 in (61 x 48.3 mm) in size.
The forest eagle owl female incubates the egg alone, while the male provides the food. The forest eagle owl male may cover the clutch without incubating if the female leaves for a short time. The forest eagle owl gets very aggressive while defending its nest and its young.
What is their conservation status?
According to the IUCN Red List, this species' conservation status is of Least Concern. A recent study has shown the overall population is decreasing due to the loss of habitat in many areas.
Forest Eagle Owl Fun Facts
What do forest eagle owls look like?
The spot-bellied eagle owl is a bird with a distinctive and unique appearance due to its ear tufts. This species is a stark, grayish-brown bird, with dark, coarse brown coloration on the back and upper wings.
The throat and underparts of these birds are mainly pale and slightly brown in color. There are black and white horizontal stripes along the body's flanks that eventually become broad spots on the abdomen and under the tail coverts.
The wings are primarily dark brown with slightly lighter brown stripes, and the secondaries are more heavily barred with buff-brown coloration. The large ear tufts of the bird slant off to the sides.
How cute are they?
The forest eagle owl, along with its subspecies, has a very distinctive look. The subspecies related to the spot-bellied eagle owl have a pale facial disc and with no dark rims around them. Their eyebrows are white, and their eyes are dark brown with pale gray eyelids.
The overall description gives a very odd view of this animal, but considering how many pet mammals look, these owls are very close to being cute.
How do they communicate?
The forest eagle owl, like members of its subspecies, is noted for its peculiar, human-sounding call, and it has been suggested that the forest eagle owl call is the same as the call of the wild Sri Lankan devil bird.
The description of this call, according to history, is reported as a scream, which rises and then falls in tone.
The territorial call of the species is made of low hoots with intervals of two seconds between hoots.
They use their call to communicate with their mates or use it as a distress call.
How big is a forest eagle owl?
The average size of a forest eagle owl is 19.6-25.5 in (49.8-64.8 cm) with a wingspan that is 14.5-18.5 in (36.8-47 cm) long.
If compared to other birds like a Hodgson frogmouth which is 9.6-10.8 in (24.4 - 27.4 cm), a Hodgson treecreeper which is 4.9 in (12.4 cm), or even similar species like a flammulated owl which is 5-6 in (12.7-15.2 cm), the forest eagle owl is bigger.
How fast can a forest eagle owl fly?
These spot-bellied eagle owls have a history of fast flying. These owls fly at an average speed of 20 mph (32.2 kph) even during the pitch-dark night in search of food or shelter.
They are also known for their extraordinary ability to see in the dark, which helps them search for prey.
How much does a forest eagle owl weigh?
The average weight of a forest eagle owl is about 3.3-3.7 lb (1.5-1.7 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no sex-specific names to distinguish the males and females of this species.
What would you call a baby forest eagle owl?
There are no specific names for baby forest eagle owls.
What do they eat?
The spot-bellied eagle owl is a predator; similar to other members of their subspecies, they feed on other birds, large and small. They also prey on animals like deer and zebras.
Are they poisonous?
Though they are predators, there is no information on whether they are poisonous or not, though as they are owls we can say with some certainty that they are not poisonous.
Would they make a good pet?
The forest eagle owl is a wild bird and should not be kept as a pet, but in some areas of its distribution in Asia, poachers have been known to take them away from their natural habitat.
Did you know...
The male spot-bellied eagle owl temporarily covers the eggs while the female flies off for a short period.
It is illegal to keep them as pets.
The forest eagle owl call is the same as the call of the wild Sri Lankan devil bird.
How did spot-bellied eagle owls get their name?
Spot-bellied eagle owls got their name from their peculiar appearance.
Are forest eagle owls endangered?
Forest eagle owls are not endangered but are decreasing in number due to loss of habitat and unethical poachers, like some others of the same genus.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn information about some other birds from our burrowing owl interesting facts and tawny owl fun facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Indian eagle-owl coloring pages.
We Want Your Photos!
More for You
See All
Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
Disclaimer
1) Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the Buy Now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published but we cannot guarantee that on the time of reading. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
2) At Kidadl, we strive to recommend the very best activities and events. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
3) Because we are an educational resource, we have quotes and facts about a range of historical and modern figures. We do not endorse the actions of or rhetoric of all the people included in these collections, but we think they are important for growing minds to learn about under the guidance of parents or guardians.
