Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu)
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Buffy Fish Owl

Ketupa ketupu (Horsfield, 1821)

1.3 kgWeight

The buffy fish owl (Ketupa ketupu), also known as the Malay fish owl, is a fish owl in the family Strigidae.

Busiest months: December–March, July and September–October · Most records: Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Buffy Fish Owl has been recorded at 144 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Sungei Buloh Wetland ReserveSingapore640 records
  2. Danum Valley Field CentreMalaysia438 records
  3. Pasir Ris ParkSingapore368 records
More places
  1. Khao Yai NP – headquarters vicinityThailand334 records
  2. Hampstead Wetlands ParkSingapore329 records
  3. Danum Valley Borneo Rainforest LodgeMalaysia329 records
  4. Kinabatangan River – SukauMalaysia317 records
  5. Tabin Wildlife ReserveMalaysia282 records
  6. Singapore Botanic GardensSingapore261 records
  7. Jurong Lake GardensSingapore260 records

Countries and regions with the most records

MalaysiaSingaporeThailandBangladeshCambodiaVietnamBruneiMyanmar (Burma)

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The buffy fish owl (Ketupa ketupu), 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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Buffy Fish Owl?

The Buffy Fish Owl weighs around 1.3 kg.

Where does the Buffy Fish Owl live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: Southeast Asia to Java and Borneo. It is most often recorded in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Buffy Fish Owl?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, March, July, September, October and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Buffy Fish Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Buffy Fish Owl as Least Concern.

What does the Buffy Fish Owl eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Buffy Fish Owl in?

It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.

At a glance

Weight
1.3 kg
Habitat
Rivers & streams
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
335 mm
Tail
146 mm
Bill
50 mm
Tarsus
65 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: Southeast Asia to Java and Borneo

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Owls Strigidae
Genus
Ketupa

Other birds in the genus Ketupa

Fraser's Eagle-OwlFraser's Eagle-OwlKetupa poensisAkun Eagle-OwlAkun Eagle-OwlKetupa leucostictaVerreaux's Eagle-OwlVerreaux's Eagle-OwlKetupa lacteaShelley's Eagle-OwlShelley's Eagle-OwlKetupa shelleyiBlakiston's Fish OwlBlakiston's Fish OwlKetupa blakistoniBrown Fish OwlBrown Fish OwlKetupa zeylonensisTawny Fish OwlTawny Fish OwlKetupa flavipesBarred Eagle-OwlBarred Eagle-OwlKetupa sumatranaSpot-bellied Eagle-OwlSpot-bellied Eagle-OwlKetupa nipalensisDusky Eagle-OwlDusky Eagle-OwlKetupa coromandaPhilippine Eagle-OwlPhilippine Eagle-OwlKetupa philippensis
Buffy Fish Owl

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗

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