Spotted Owlet

Finally we come to one of the most familiar of all birds - Owls. From the time of Mahabharatha to that of Harry Potter, owls have been a fixture of almost every culture in the world. The most common owl in Shimoga, and in fact the whole of India, is the Spotted Owlet. This bird has adapted really well to living with humans, and can be frequently found in older buildings and temples. I have consistently seen these spotted owlets in my village since childhood - the temple at the entrance of our village seems to be a favourite haunt of these nocturnal birds.

Of course, the most famous feature of these birds is that they are nocturnal, but the spotted owlets are actually classified as crepuscular and nocturnal by Salim Ali (crepuscular means active during twilight hours). The next distinguishing feature is that they have both eyes at the front of their face, which is a very rare thing indeed. These usually feed off insects, beetles and also small mice. Their strong talons and beaks are suited for this type of hunting.

Scientific name for the spotted owlet is Athene brama.