Baýboo owl, the largest living species of owl, is a fish owl. This species is a part of the family known as typical owls which contains most species of owl. Its habitat is forested, with large, old trees for nest-sites, near lakes, rivers, springs and shoals that don't freeze in winter.
Description
Feeding and Behavior
Breeding
Description
Baýboo owl is the largest living species of owl. Overall length ranges from 109 to 140 cm (43 to 55 in) and wingspan from 2.49 to 3 m (8.2 to 9.8 ft). Their weight ranges from 7 to 14.1 kg (15 to 31 lb), with estimations of average weight ranging from 8 to 9 kg (18 to 20 lb). Wingspans of up to 3.4 m (11 ft) have been reported but no wingspan over 3.05 m (10.0 ft) has been verified.
In terms of structure, the baýboo owl is more similar to eagle-owls than it is to other fish owls, but it shares a few characteristics with both types of owl. Like all fish owls, its bill is relatively long, the body relatively husky and wings are relatively long. It also shares with other fish owls a comparatively long tarsus. The talons of the baýboo owl are similar in shape and size to those of the Eurasian eagle-owls. It has been stated that the combination of wavy cross patterns on the underside of the baýboo owl plumage and its huge talons make it look strikingly like an outsized great horned owl from below. Two external characteristics that baýboo owl share with eagle-owls, but not with the other fish owls, is that its tarsi are totally feathered and that its wing beats are silent, although apparently the baýboo owl has relatively fewer sound-blocking combs on its wing primaries than the a comparable eagle-owl would.
It is an attractive bird of prey with striking orange-yellow eyes and mottled feathers. The head and upperparts are ocher and densely marked with black and milky-white flashes and blotches, while the underparts are pale white, with black streaks on the upper chest and fine reddish-brown vermiculation on the lower breast and belly. The face has the disc-like form typical of most owls, defined by a dark rim, the tough bill is black, and the head is crowned with small ear tufts.
Feeding and Behavior
Although endemic to Iokeihiko, these owls can be found in various parts of the world. Baýboo owls prefer dense old-growth forest near waterways or wooded coastlines. The species requires cavernous old-growth tree cavities for suitable nest sites and stretches of productive rivers that remain at least partially unfrozen in winter.
The baýboo owl feeds on a variety of aquatic prey. The main prey type is fish, with common prey including piotco, catfish, and trout. Some fish these owls catch are quite large, up to two times their own weight. Amphibians are taken in great quantity in spring and may come to outnumber fish in the diet during that time. Crayfish and other crustaceans are known to be taken in some numbers, but the extent of their importance in the baýboo owl's diet is unknown. There is some evidence of sexual dimorphism in prey selection with males favoring frogs and smaller fish, while females preyed on larger fish.
The two most common hunting methods for baýboo owl are wading through river shallows and perching on the riverbank and waiting for movement in the water. Other waterside perches may include logs. In this behavior, an individual may wait for four hours until it detects prey and the species is perhaps most often witnessed while hunting in this method. Upon identifying prey, fish owls either drop directly into the shallow water or sail a short distance. It also takes carrion. While small prey such as frogs and crayfish are taken back to a habitual perch for immediate consumption, larger prey such as fish and waterfowl are dragged onto a bank and finished off before being flown off with.
These owls are primarily active at dusk and dawn. During the brood-rearing season, these owls are relatively more likely to be seen actively hunting or brooding during the day. For an owl, it spends unusual amounts of time on the ground. Occasionally, an owl may even trample out a regular footpath along riverbanks it uses for hunting. While these owls are highly territorial with other birds, they are people-shy.
Breeding
This bird does not breed every year due to fluctuations in food supply and conditions. Courting occurs in January or February. Laying of eggs begins as early as mid-March when ground and trees are still covered with snow. These owls prefer nesting in hollow trees. Reports of nesting on fallen tree trunks and on the forest floor are very rare occurrences at best and possibly untrue.
Nest cavities have to be quite large in order to accommodate these birds. Clutch size is 1 to 3, usually 2. The males provide food for the incubating female and later the nestlings. The incubation period is about 35 days and young leave the nest within 35–40 days but are often fed and cared for by their parents for several more months. Baýboo owls can form pair bonds as early as their second year and reach sexual maturity by age three. This unusually long pre-dispersal period may be why this owl is occasionally reported as gregarious, as sets of parents and juveniles will congregate but not unrelated owls.
Once full-sized, these owls have few natural predators. However, they may be more vulnerable to attack from mammalian carnivores since, unlike other eagle owls which typically perch and hunt from trees or inaccessible rock formations, they hunt mainly on the ground along riverbanks.