Maha Pench Tiger Reserve reports first photographic record of forest eagle owl

Nagpur: Known for its rich floral and faunal biodiversity, Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), Maharashtra, has turned out to be a good breeding ground for a little-known population of forest eagle owl (Bubo Nipalensis), also known as the spot-bellied eagle owl.
In Central India, these nocturnal birds have also been reported from Madhya Pradesh Pench and Kanha Tiger Reserve.However, there were no documented reports of the spot-bellied eagle owl from Maharashtra Pench.

“Now we have photographic record of the spot-bellied eagle owl and its juvenile, indicating it’s breeding in Maharashtra Pench,” said Pench deputy director Prabhu Nath Shukla.
Shukla says, “In Pench, which is home to 367 avian species, the first evidence of a pair of forest eagle owl was observed by staff on June 4, 2018, in Saleghat range of Mansinghdeo Wildlife Sanctuary, which is part of the tiger reserve, but there was no documented evidence then.”
As per present research, bird watchers Ishita Khemariya and Deepali Sharma, who were accompanied by KD Kuklare, a member of the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF), observed the owl species on June 10, 2023, during a bird survey exercise.
“The forest eagle owl was spotted in Arjuna Nala in compartment number 659 in Surewani beat of Nagalwadi range in the buffer zone. Thereafter, the male and female individuals were continuously recorded. Their juveniles were first recorded by Shrikant Dhoble at the same location on June 16, 2023, but the nest could not be found,” said Shukla.
According to current observations, the habitat is a dense and moist deciduous forest with high canopy. The area is close to Surewani village and there are no records of other owls near the spot-bellied eagle owl location, except the presence of jungle owlet and Indian scops owl.
The forest eagle owl is large and found in dense evergreen and moist deciduous forests usually near water, in wet temperate, and riparian forests. It has been reported to hunt in scrub, bamboo jungle, thin deciduous forest, and near edges of clearings.
The research shows that like many other owls, the spot-bellied eagle owl also makes calls for various purposes, including communication, territorial defence, and attracting mates. Their calls were recorded and the frequency was calculated using Raven Pro software. It was found that these individuals were producing low-frequency calls.
Low-frequency calls enable them to communicate further across long distances through dense vegetation. Their call is a low, deep double hoot lasting two seconds. They also utter a mournful, mewing scream. The findings indicate that species may be widely distributed all over the country.