Spotted Wood Owl

The spotted wood owl is a large, earless owl about 43–48 cm long and close to 1 kg in weight. Dark brown upperparts are liberally spotted white, while the buff underparts carry bold black bars. The rounded head has dark brown eyes, a greenish-grey bill and no ear tufts; the legs are densely feathered. Its rolling series of hoots followed by a longer final note is frequently more noticeable than the well-camouflaged bird resting high in foliage (Singapore National Parks; Birds of Singapore).

It ranges from southern Myanmar and Thailand through Cambodia and Vietnam to the Malay Peninsula, western Indonesia and parts of the Philippines. The species uses lowland forest, mangroves, open woodland, plantations and well-wooded parks or villages, occurring alone or in pairs. At night it hunts mainly from a perch, dropping onto rats, mice and other small vertebrates, while also taking birds, reptiles and insects. Two white eggs are laid in a tree cavity, and both adults participate in nesting duties (Zoo Thailand; World Species database).