Bird Album
Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl
Ketupa nipalensis (Hodgson, 1836)
This large owl has long ear tufts that angle out to either side.
Busiest months: February–March and December · Most records: India, Thailand, Sri Lanka
How to identify
Field marks
- Ear-coverts very long, angled out to either side
- Back and upperwing dark brown
- Legs and feet feathered, tips of toes bare
Male, female and young
Juvenile paler overall, grayish-cream with heavier brown barring.
Voice
Gives a shriek that rises then falls in pitch; the territorial call is a low, far-carrying “hoo”.
Where and when it's recorded
Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl has been recorded at 123 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Thattekkad Bird SanctuaryIndia129 records
- Kaeng Krachan NP – stream crossings 1–3Thailand81 records
- Corbett NP – DhikalaIndia67 records
More places
- Kanha Tiger Reserve – Mukki GateIndia51 records
- Garbhanga Reserve ForestIndia47 records
- Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary – Wat Tham Pha PlongThailand43 records
- Kaeng Krachan NPThailand40 records
- Thattekad Bird Sanctuary – UrulanthanniIndia38 records
- Dihing Patkai NP – SoraipungIndia34 records
- Dihing Patkai NP – SoraipungIndia34 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
Questions
Where does the Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl live?
Its breeding range: Oriental: southern India and Sri Lanka, Himalayas to Southeast Asia. It is most often recorded in India, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
When is the best time to see the Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February, March and December (Northern Hemisphere).
What family is the Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl in?
It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.
Range
Oriental: southern India and Sri Lanka, Himalayas to Southeast Asia
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Owls Strigidae
- Genus
- Ketupa
Other birds in the genus Ketupa
Fraser's Eagle-OwlKetupa poensis
Akun Eagle-OwlKetupa leucosticta
Verreaux's Eagle-OwlKetupa lactea
Shelley's Eagle-OwlKetupa shelleyi
Blakiston's Fish OwlKetupa blakistoni
Brown Fish OwlKetupa zeylonensis
Tawny Fish OwlKetupa flavipes
Buffy Fish OwlKetupa ketupu
Barred Eagle-OwlKetupa sumatrana
Dusky Eagle-OwlKetupa coromanda
Philippine Eagle-OwlKetupa philippensis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Maimai. ↗
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