Spot-bellied eagle owl is one of the most stunning owl species, and yet, not so popular. With my enormous love for owls, it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t talk about this one. Despite my culture that considers this specific species a bad omen, I adore this one dearly. Look at how beautiful it is, and those ear tufts make it even cuter. For more about spot-bellied eagle owls, find out below.
1Appearance
A spot-bellied eagle owl is pretty large, reaching a size of 50 to 65 centimeters in length. In fact, it is the 6th longest owl in the world, as well as the 9th longest wings among other owl species. One of the features that makes the owl look absolutely adorable is the long ear tufts that give them an adorable appearance. These ear tufts are around 6.3 to 7.6 long, protruding from above the eyes like floating eyebrows. They have dark brown eyes with pale gray eyelids, while the bill is either pale yellow or wax yellow. Its body is grayish-brown in color, with dark and coarse brown coloration over the back and upper wings. The star of the appearance is the light cream heart-shaped spots all over the body of these owls. That’s not all, the legs and feet of a spot-bellied eagle owl are feathered, fluffily gorgeous.
2Behavior
Spot-bellied eagle owls are nocturnal, so they spend their days hiding in dense forest trees for protection. It is not uncommon to see them hunt during the day, though quite rare, and their actual hunting time is at dusk. They hunt by pouncing on the prey at their nighttime roosts in bamboo clumps or trees. If they want to get creative, they will just follow and hunt mammals on land as well. A spot-bellied eagle owl has a low and deep double hoot that lasts for two seconds, and it goes “hoo-hoo”. More than that, it also utters a mournful and mewing scream that rises and then falls in pitch. Each call it makes is deep and booming, carrying far through the forest, striking enough to scare people.
3Feeding & Habitats
Being a large bird of prey, the spot-bellied eagle owl is also pretty powerful when it comes to hunting. They take on a number of large prey, such as small mammals and small rodents like hares, rats, and voles. The impressive part is that they also hunt on heavier prey like junglefowl, pheasants, and other gamebirds. Not to mention that they prey on toque monkeys and young muntjacs, these owls are true predators, indeed. And, of course, the menu also consists of fish, lizards, and snakes as well. Apart from hunting for fresh meals, these owls also feed on the carcasses of goats and tigers.
The range of these adorable owls extends across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They inhabit primary or older second-growth forests, tropical and subtropical forests, as well as all varieties of land-based habitats. However, they are fond of dense and evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, and woodlands where they can hide. In Cambodia, people considered spot-bellied eagle owls a bad omen in the old days. That was because of their strange, human-sounding call that sparked fear in humans who ventured into the forests at night. This belief has been instilled in people’s mindsets, not only in the spot-bellied eagle owls but also in many other owl species.
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