Andaman Masked Owl
Tyto deroepstorffi
The Andaman Masked Owl (Tyto deroepstorffi) is a legendary bay owls and barn owl found only in India. The Andaman masked owl is a barn owl endemic to the southern Andaman Islands archipelago of India, in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean.
About the Andaman Masked Owl
The Andaman masked owl is a barn owl endemic to the southern Andaman Islands archipelago of India, in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean. Regarded by some authors as a subspecies of the common barn owl, it is recognized by others as a species in its own right.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Andaman masked owl has a length of between 30 and 36 cm (12 and 14 in) from head to tail, with the tail being 11 cm (4.3 in) from its base. The longest primary measures 25-26 cm. It is almost uniformly dark reddish-brown above, with some speckling of buffish-orange, and a more yellowish torso than the common barn owl. The facial disc is pale, reddish-buff with a distinctive orange-brown margin. The eyes are blackish and the beak is creamy-white. The breast is golden-brown with blackish spots, paling towards the belly, which is whitish. The legs are fully feathered to near the feet.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, October, November, December, with peak activity in December. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Andaman Masked Owl?
- The Andaman masked owl has a length of between 30 and 36 cm (12 and 14 in) from head to tail, with the tail being 11 cm (4.3 in) from its base. Full identification notes are on this page.
- Where can you see an Andaman Masked Owl?
- The Andaman Masked Owl is endemic to India, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to an Andaman Masked Owl?
- The Andaman Masked Owl is most easily confused with the Ashy-faced Owl, the Sulawesi Masked Owl and the Minahasa Masked Owl.
Learn the Andaman Masked Owl for real
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