Brown hawk-owl

The brown hawk-owl (also called the brown boobook, Ninox scutulata) is a medium-sized owl found across South Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and extending east to Indonesia and southern China. It has a hawk-like body shape with a long tail and lacks the round facial disk seen in many other owls. Its upperparts are dark brown, while the breast is whitish with reddish-brown streaks, and its most striking feature is its large, piercing yellow eyes. This owl is very adaptable and can live in many habitats such as rainforests, orchards, gardens, and even towns and cities, making it one of the more commonly seen owls in Sri Lanka and nearby regions.

The brown hawk-owl is mainly active at night and at dusk, when it hunts from exposed perches. Its diet includes insects, frogs, lizards, small birds, and mice, showing how it plays an important role in controlling pests. During the day, it often rests in trees and is sometimes revealed by the alarm calls of smaller birds mobbing it. Its call is a repeated soft “oo-uk…oo-uk,” though it can also give a series of rising hoots. Because of its adaptability and presence in both forests and urban areas, this owl is one of the few raptors people often hear or see near their homes.