Brown Wood Owl Facts

A medium to large owl with no ear tufts and huge dark eyes. This owl has eyelashes like a giraffe! With his light chestnut-brown upper-parts barred with dark brown, his dark brown crown and pale facial disk and dark rings around the eyes, he really is a very handsome owl.

Birds from the Himalayas across to Vietnam and China, and birds from Java were formerly included with this species, but have now been separated as 2 distinct species, the whole group representing a species complex. The validity of some of the races listed is questionable and requires further investigation.

Brown Wood Owls manage to take advantage of the variety of woodland habitats within their range. Nocturnal in their habits, they normally roost in pairs, well hidden in dense foliage by their feather patterns.

They are the largest and most dominant owl in the areas in which they are found and are feared by the native population due to their aggression toward any intruder near their nesting site. Out of breeding season, they will simply fly swiftly away if disturbed, deeper into the forest and are silent and elusive. A most difficult owl to study because of the areas in which it is found and due to its normally shy behaviour.