My Avian Diary - Indian Eagle-owl

Life of Birds through my Lens - 2

In my previous blog, I shared my observations about the Indian paradise flycatcher. This second blog is about an elusive raptor, and one of the most beautiful owls of India—the Indian eagle-owl.

The Indian eagle-owl (Bubo bengalensis), is also known as Bengal eagle-owl or Rock eagle-owl.

The Indian eagle-owl is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

The Indian eagle-owl is a large owl with mottled brown and grey plumage that camouflages it with its surroundings. Like most of the raptors, Indian eagle-owls show reverse sexual dimorphism (RSD); i.e., females are significantly larger than males.

Sexual dimorphism refers to differences in appearance between the sexes of the same species. These different characteristics include size, color, shape and structure. In reverse sexual diamorphism, females are larger and heavier than males and have darker plumage.

Adult male eagle-owls grow up to 2 feet in length, while adult females reach up to 2.5 feet in length. They have an impressive wingspan that ranges from 4 to 6 feet. Indian eagle-owls have a light brown facial disc, a white throat patch with black stripes, and barred underparts. Indian eagle-owls have large orange eyes and prominent ear tufts that look like horns.

Habitat & Behavior

The Indian eagle-owl is widespread across the Indian Subcontinent and is commonly found in scrublands, rocky hills and deciduous forests. They avoid extremely arid deserts and dense evergreen forests and use rocky outcrops and trees for roosting and nesting.

Females, being larger, can hunt for larger prey while smaller males hunt for smaller prey. The size difference also allows for niche partitioning, where different sexes hunt different prey, thus reducing direct competition. This sexual diamorphism also protects larger females from the aggressive instincts of males.

Though Indian eagle-owls primarily feed on rodents, their diet also consists of birds like francolins, doves, black kite, house crow and the spotted owlet. They are also known to hunt smaller mammals, such as hares.

From the Fieldbook

Indian eagle owls often exhibit a Threat Display to deter potential threats, such as animals, humans, and even other owls. These displays include wing spreading, puffing up of plumage, raising its ear tufts, strong vocalisations, and bill clapping.

Indian eagle-owl threat display

Indian eagle-owls are largely associated with various superstitions. Owls, especially the Indian eagle-owl, are considered the vahana (vehicle) of Goddess Lakshmi. In some parts of India, it is a misguided belief that sacrificing the owl ensures Goddess Lakshmi stays in their home, bringing lasting prosperity. In past, this has led to the sacrifice of a large number of eagle-owls during Diwali. They are also associated with black magic, divination, and good fortune talismans, making them vulnerable to illegal hunting and killings.

Owls' role in ecology is crucial as rodent controllers for farmers. It is my humble yet firm belief that owls, just like us humans, are offspring of Mother Nature and protecting and conserving them is a real worship of Goddess Laxmi.

This concludes my second blog in the series 'My Avian Diary.' If you liked this blog, please leave a Comment and Like. If you have any feedback, you can reach out to me via email, my Instagram page, or through the enquiry form on the Contact page.

LOVE. CONSERVE. SUSTAIN.