With at least 3 common names (in English alone) Rock Eagle owl, Bengal Eagle owl and Indian Eagle owl you will understand the need for scientific classification of species.
The Indian Eagle Owl is yet another example of a farmer’s friend, consuming vast numbers of small mammals including vermin every year. John got to see his one and only wild Indian Eagle Owl at the Keoladeo Bird Reserve in Bharatpur.
It was surrounded by many other bird species who would have continually ‘mobbed’ it, but this owl sat so still that it took several heavy hints from his bird guide before he spotted its perfectly camouflaged body in a tree.
Scientific Name:
Bubo bengalensis
Status:
Least concern
Size:
Up to 433mm wingspan
Weight:
1000g to 2000g
Life Span in Wild:
20yrs
Habitat:
Light woodland to open arid areas
Diet:
Carnivore
Small mammals up to the size of a rat, other small creatures and birds.
Indian subcontinent.
Crepuscular
Owls may be killed by man as they are often thought of as bad omens. The use of pesticides in agriculture is also to blame for owl deaths.
