Barred eagle-owl
| Barred Eagle-owl | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Aves |
| Sub-class | Neornithes |
| Infra-class | Neoaves |
| Order Information | |
| Order | Strigiformes |
| Family Information | |
| Family | Strigidae |
| Sub-family | Striginae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Bubo |
| Species Information | |
| Species | B. sumatranus |
| Synonyms | Strix sumatrana |
| Population statistics | |
The barred eagle-owl or Malay eagle-owl (Bubo sumatranus) is a species of owl found in Southeast Asia.
Description
Barred eagle-owls have a body length of 15 to 18 inches. The top of the body is charcoal grey with dark bars. The underside of the body is whitish and brown striped, with the breast slightly darker than the belly. The legs are feathered. The eyes are dark brown, which combined with the dark face and large, often slanting sideways ear tufts, give the bird a striking appearance.[1] Within its range it can be confused with the earless brown wood owl (Strix leptogrammica). Juvenile birds are whitish in color, with grey primaries and fine tan bars all over.
Subspecies
- Bubo sumatranus sumatranus; southern Burma, Thailand (Malay Peninsula), Malaysia (Malay Peninsula), Indonesia: Sumatra, Bangka Island
- Bubo sumatranus strepitans; Indonesia: Borneo, Java and Bali
- Bubo sumatranus tenuifasciatus; Indonesia: Borneo, Java and Bali
Due to close similarities there is some confusion as to whether the subspecies B. s. strepitans and B. s. tenuifasciatus should be considered a single subspecies.[2]
Range and habitat
Barred eagle-owls are found in Burma, south through Thailand to Malaysia, and on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Bangka, Borneo, Java, and Bali. It primarily inhabits dense forests near small bodies of water, but will also be in man-made gardens in which were planted trees with dense foliage, or at the edge of human settlements. In elevation it ranges from sea level up to 3,000 feet; in western Java it is occasionally encountered at higher elevations.
Habits
Barred eagle-owls perch alone or in pairs in tall trees with dense foliage, often sitting near the trunk. Diet includes large insects, birds, small mammals such as mice and rats as well as frogs and reptiles. It is monogamous, and mates for life. Nests are generally made within tree cavities, and on Java and Sumatra the abandoned nests of other birds are utilized. One egg is laid.
