Cool Facts on the Indian Eagle Owl

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Indian eagle owls (Bubo bengalensis) are South Asian birds with a sizable geographic scope including the countries of Pakistan, Nepal and India. These big owls exist in steady numbers, with no imminent dangers to their population and ongoing survival. They are not particularly abundant, however.

Cool Basic Information

Indian eagle owls have predominantly brownish-gray or beige feathers. The top portions of their bodies feature blended brown, black and white elements, while the lower portions are pale with darkish lines. Interestingly, these birds are thought to exist in two color types -- lighter and darker. They're usually between 19 and 22 inches tall, weighing between 39 and 70 ounces. Indian eagle owls, habitatwise, gravitate toward rugged landscapes, semidesert, scrubland, woodland and forests. The reproductive season for this species starts in October and ends in May, with heightened activity between February and April.

Orange Eyes and Physical Appearance

One cool Indian eagle owl fact involves their eyes, which have a striking orange coloration that creates a major contrast to the rest of their bodies, which are rather subdued in comparison. Other cool aspects of their physical appearance involve the conspicuous tufts of feathers on their ears and the white coloration over their throats.

Species Classification

Indian eagle owls are classified as an individual species, it wasn't always this way. They used to be considered a Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) subspecies. Eurasian eagle owls have massive geographic haunting grounds that include diverse locales like Spain, Sweden, Greece, Mongolia, Afghanistan and Korea.

Rapid Growth

A lot of animals, just like humans, take years to attain the mature size of adults. Indian eagle owls, on the other hand, are pretty speedy in the physical development department. By the time they're around 10 weeks in age, they usually are adult-sized, though they're not mature yet.

Vocalization

The signature vocalization of Indian eagle owls is low, full-bodied, clear and ringing. Their calls are often associated with misfortune. If a specimen vocalizes from the roof of a residence, it is thought to indicate the upcoming passing away of a member of the household.

Food

When it comes to noshing, Indian eagle owls like their food meaty. They mostly focus on rodents such as mice and rats but also feed on crabs, amphibians, reptiles and even other birds, but usually only in winter. Indian eagle owls are sometimes seen as beneficial creatures, due to their penchant for eating rodents. Since they eat lots of rodents, they help get rid of nuisances to farming.

Other Monikers

"Indian eagle owl" isn't the sole moniker for this species. These guys are also frequently referred to as Bengal eagle owls and rock eagle owls.