Brown Fish Owl

Ketupa zeylonensis

Wades into shallow rivers at dusk to snatch fish. No feathered feet, no problems. Widespread and unbothered.

Habitat: Forests, woodlands, and ravines bordering rivers, lakes, and rice fields; typically close to water, from lowland open woodland to dense forest, plantations, occasionally up to 1,500m in the Himalayas
Fun fact: The Brown Fish Owl has bare, spiny-soled feet with no feathering on the lower legs — a specialized adaptation for gripping slippery fish, unlike most owls whose legs are fully feathered.
Range: Turkey and the Middle East through South and Southeast Asia (Levant population, incl. Israel, probably extinct as a breeder; range exceeds 7,000 km, the most widely distributed of the four living fish owl species)
Diet: Mainly fish, frogs, and crabs (especially Potamon crabs), supplemented by reptiles (snakes, lizards), small mammals (incl. bats), birds, water beetles/insects, and occasionally carrion
Size: 0.55 m
Wingspan: 1.3 m
Lifespan: 15 years

More Owls