Barred Eagle-Owl

The barred eagle-owl is a fairly large owl but relatively small eagle-owl, ranging from 40 to 48 cm (16 to 19 in) in length. There is almost no size sexual dimorphism in this species (although some females are marginally larger than the males) and adjacent island subspecies vary dramatically in size, both unusual attributes for eagle-owls. It is most distinctive due to its barred underparts, large but sideways-slanting ear tufts, a white bar running from the eyebrows through the front of the ear-tufts and much more heavily marked breast than belly. The face and lores are a dirty grayish-white colour. The eyes are usually a dark brown colour, but occasionally yellow eyes have been reported. The bill and cere are pale yellow, with an occasional greenish tinge to the cere. The upperparts are grey-brown, crossed and mottled with several zigzag bars of rufous-tawny colour, being broadest on the back. The upper-tail is dark brown with about six whitish or tawny bars. The tarsi are feathered to the toe joint. The juvenile barred eagle-owls are pure white in their natal down. The mesoptile stage in transition to adult plumage, is still a dirty white but is banded with brown on the wings and tail and the ear-tufts are much shorter than on mature birds.

Identification. …

It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It typically is a resident of evergreen forests with pools or streams, but also ranges into large gardens with tall, densely foliated trees, such as the Bogor Botanical Gardens found in West Java as well as wooded groves in cultivated country, both sometimes not far from human habitations. It usually ranges in elevation from sea-level to roughly 1,000 m (3,300 ft) but can range up to about 1,600 m (5,200 ft) or more at locations like Mount Gede in West Java and Mount Singgalang in West Sumatra.

What little is known of the dietary habits of the barred eagle-owl indicates it has a very broad, opportunistic diet. Much like other eagle-owls, the barred eagle-owl has large, powerful feet for its size with large, heavy, slightly curved talons, indicating a diverse diet that can extend to relatively large prey given the opportunity. Known foods have included large insects (i.e. grasshoppers and beetles), birds, small mammals (especially rodents including many mice and rats), and reptiles, largely snakes. In one instance, a barred eagle-owl preyed on a young crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis), which even at a young age is likely to be as large or larger than the eagle-owl. When held in captivity, this species is not choosy and will consume fresh meat from fish, birds and mammals. In one instance, when kept in an aviary with a changeable hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus), the owl killed and consumed the hawk-eagle despite its similar body size, indicative of a ferocity and lack of discrimination in regards to prey species, once again similar to other eagle-owls.