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Buffy Fish Owl

Ketupa ketupu

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernFishRiverineCavity nestLarge · 1.3 kg
Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu), photo 1
Photo: Johnny Wee · CC BY 2.0
Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu), photo 2
Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren · CC BY 2.0
Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu), photo 3
Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada · CC BY 2.0
Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu), photo 4
Photo: grass_0 · CC BY 4.0
Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu), photo 5
Photo: Steven Bodzin · CC BY 4.0
Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu), photo 6
Photo: Steven Bodzin · CC BY 4.0
Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu), photo 7
Photo: Johnny Wee · CC BY 2.0
Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu), photo 8
Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada · CC BY 2.0
Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu), photo 9
Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren · CC BY 2.0
Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu), photo 10
Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren · CC BY 2.0

ID tip

The buffy fish owl is buff brown with darker tawny brown feathers on the back. Its face is paler and it has light brown eyebrows. With an adult size of 40 to 48 cm (16 to 19 in) and a weight of 1,028 to 2,100 g (36.3 to 74.1 oz), it is the smallest fish owl species. Like all fish owls, the buffy fish owl has prominent ear tufts on the sides of its head. Its wing feathers and tail are broadly barred yellowish and dark brown. The wings are distinctly rounded in shape. The underparts are a yellowish brown, rich buff, or fulvous with broad, blackish shaft stripes. Its long legs are not feathered.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Buffy Fish Owl

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is March, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Buffy Fish Owl

Regular range

The map shades 9 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Malaysia Singapore Thailand India Bangladesh Cambodia Brunei Vietnam Indonesia

About the Buffy Fish Owl

The buffy fish owl, also known as the Malay fish owl, is a fish owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to Southeast Asia and lives foremost in tropical forests and wetlands. Due to its wide distribution and assumed stable population, it is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl (Ketupa nipalensis) Spot-bellied Eagle-OwlKetupa nipalensisThe spot-bellied eagle-owl is a large species of owl. Dusky Eagle-Owl (Ketupa coromanda) Dusky Eagle-OwlKetupa coromandaThe dusky eagle-owl is a large greyish-brown owl with prominent ear tufts. Barred Eagle-Owl (Ketupa sumatrana) Barred Eagle-OwlKetupa sumatranaThe 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.

Side by side: Buffy Fish Owl vs Verreaux's Eagle-Owl · Brown Fish Owl vs Buffy Fish Owl · Buffy Fish Owl vs Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl · Buffy Fish Owl vs Dusky Eagle-Owl

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