Rare Himalayan Wood Owl spotted in Thumkerani

By Prem Adhikari,Pashupatinagar (Ilam), Aug. 17: A pair of the globally rare Himalayan Wood Owl (Strix nivicolum) has been spotted in Thumkerani, Maijogmai Rural Municipality, Ilam.

Wildlife photographer Deven Kharel from Jhapa and former president of the Koshi Bird Society, Anish Timilsina, photographed the owls during a week-long monsoon bird watching event held to mark the Dhwase Cheetah Festival, which began on August 4.

The Himalayan Wood Owl belongs to the owl family (Strigidae). According to photographer Kharel, the species is native to western Himalayan regions of Pakistan and India, and is also found in Nepal, Bhutan, eastern Tibet, northeastern Myanmar, parts of China, Korea and Taiwan.

In Nepal, however, it is considered extremely rare and is usually seen only in mid to high-altitude forests.

Researchers said that the bird typically lives between 1,000 and 3,600 metres above sea level, particularly in forests of pine, larch and rhododendron. This recent sighting was recorded at 2,350 metres in Thumkerani, Ilam.

The owl has a round head without visible ear tufts, a mottled brown and white face, a brown body, a white belly with fine brown streaks and barred wings. Though its head shape resembles the Collared Scops Owl, it differs in colour. 

Its call is a deep two-note “hoo-hoo”, usually exchanged between a pair. The species is nocturnal, feeds on mice, frogs, small birds, moths and large insects. It breeds from late winter to spring, nesting in tree hollows or rocky crevices.

Globally, the Himalayan Wood Owl depends on healthy forests, but deforestation and habitat loss are threatening its survival.

During this bird watching survey, Kharel and Timilsina also recorded 130 bird species in eastern Ilam. “Many globally threatened species are found in these forests, but a lack of conservation could push them towards extinction,” Kharel warned.