India is renowned for its rich culture, beautiful attractions, natural landscapes and abundant species of birds. People from the different parts of the country and world flock in large numbers to witness the hundreds of species of beautiful avifauna. When we talk about the birds, the owls require a prominent mention. It has been estimated by the experts that there are altogether 216 species of owls left worldwide and of these a large percentage of owls are found in India. For this very reason, the ardent bird lovers like to visit the renowned bird sanctuaries and lock the amazing pictures of owls in their cameras.
Here are different species of owls found in various parts of India:
Mountain Scops Owl
The Mountain Scops owl is also known by the name Scops owl. The underpart of this particular owl is unstreaked and has short blunt wings. It is found in the Northern Himalayas and Arunachal Pradesh. This bird is normally found in the dense forests and generally feed on insects. The Scops owl makes their nest in the vacant nest holes of the woodpeckers and Barbets.
Indian Eagle Owl
The Indian Eagle owl is renowned as one of the heaviest owls in the world. The Rock Eagle Owl and Bengal Eagle Owl are the other two names of this particular owl. The feathers are brown, black and yellowish brown color. The head and forehead have got a considerable amount of freckling. This owl generally makes its nest on the cliff edges or caves.
Brown Hawk Owl
The Brown Hawk is a very medium sized owl that resembles like the hawk bird. It has a long braided tail and heavily streaked underparts. It is found in most parts of India and feeds on larger insects. The habitat of the Hawk owl can be located in the dense Indian forests or a leafy tree near the abandoned buildings.
Long-eared Owl
The Long-Eared owl is a medium sized owl that has got a brown and yellowish brown plumage. The feet and legs of the owl are heavily feathered. This owl remains active only in the night and feeds on the rats, squirrels, bats, voles and so on. When in danger, the owl hides in the tree and disguises himself to look like a tree.
Pallid Scops Owl
This owl is also known by the name Striated Scops Owl. It is generally small in size and has got the distinct streaks on the back and wing. It is paler, grayer in color and resemble like the bark of an old tree. It is found in the hills of North-west India and feed on the lizards and insects.
Tourists can see the various species of owls in India by visiting the different renowned bird sanctuaries such as the Kumarakom, Chilka Lake, Sultanpur, Vedanthangal bird sanctuary. It is important that the visitors must not forget to check the season and timings of visiting various bird sanctuaries to avoid any inconvenience.
Not just the several species of the owls, the tourists visiting the prominent bird sanctuaries can get a wonderful chance to soak in the stunning beauty of nature and cherish the unforgettable memories forever.
More about Jessica
Jessica Frei is a wildlife enthusiast and a blogger too, she likes to travel different national parks and wildlife sanctuaries all over the globe. She is currently in India for her wildlife tour. She shares her experience through articles and blogs.
