New species of birds have always fascinated me and I am often on the lookout for them when I am in the forest.

Forest Eagle-owl (Bubo nipalensis)

Many bird species are new to us and there are interesting stories associated with their sighting. Among the many species that I have heard about, but never had the privilege of seeing, is the Spot Bellied Eagle Owl. This species is also known as the Forest Eagle Owl or the Devil Bird because of its strange call that sounds fascinatingly human-like. This time I was lucky enough to spot this bird perched majestically on a Eucalyptus tree.

On first sighting, it appeared to me as a juvenile Oriental Honey Buzzard. This bird was surrounded by a Large Billed Crow and a Brahminy Kite. Its large horn-like ears and massive size however, helped me identify it as the Spot Bellied Eagle Owl.

Forest Eagle-owl (Bubo nipalensis) and the Large Billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)

Being a large bird of prey and a nocturnal species, it spends most of its time hidden among foliage of large trees. It is mostly active at dusk, when it preys on small mammals, reptiles, and birds that could be as large as a Junglefowl. Its selection of trees, unfortunately, seemed to have gone wrong this time as many birds noticed its presence. We were sad as we watched them attack the owl from all sides.

The Forest Eagle-owl (Bubo nipalensis) and the Brahminy Kite (Haliastur Indus)

It seemed as if they would kill the owl despite the fact that it was itself capable of killing a Junglefowl. The birds took advantage of the day light, which unfortunately turned out to be the owl’s disadvantage. For a change, the predator became the prey. We watched the action for a long time intently but finally left the area seriously wondering what could have happened next. I have sometimes observed a kite and crow compete with each other for food. Interestingly, this time they rallied together against a larger bird of prey.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 at 7:55 pm and is filed under Birds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.