Seven Owl Species That Are Found In Kashmir
In past the authors, explorers and ornithologists have described the Kashmir valley as “heaven on earth for migratory birds”. The Kashmir valley is known for its rich biodiversity. Kashmir is home to a large number of birds from passerine to non-passerine species. Due to its geography, the valley has a rich composition of populations of birds of prey “raptors”. In Kashmir valley there are almost 40 species of raptors including the Owls. In Kashmir there are around seven species of owls found from well wooded habitats to human habitations.
We all must have a memory from our childhood when an apparently ‘mournful’ continuing call ‘too-to-whooo’ was heard at dusk. Those were Owls coming out from their hollow or perch for making those majestic sounds starting their activity period.
Here are the Owl species found and photographed in our Kashmir valley.
Tawny Owl:
The Tawny Owl is a medium sized robust, typical owl having relatively large head and plain greyer facial disc. The species lack ear-tufts. The underparts are pale or whitish and streaked.
The distribution of Tawny Owl in Indian subcontinent are in northwest of India which is from Kashmir valley with a reported sub species (S.a.biddulphi). Throughout its range (S.a.biddulphi) is common in Kashmir valley up to the tree line. It typically nests in tree hollow. The trees used for nest are Chinar (platanusorientails), Brim-Ji (celtis).
I have sighted this bird various times within in many areas of Srinagar including Dachigam National Park and Brein Nishat Conservation Reserve. In 2018 I was able to photograph the bird of prey in Sindh Valley of Ganderbal district.
Barn Owl:
It’s a medium sized, pale coloured owl, dark eyes with long rounded wings and a short, squarish tail. The barn owl has a white heart shaped face without ear tufts. They have mix of buff and gray on the head, back and upper wings, white on the face body and under wings. It is locally uncommon and less known bird then tawny owl. There is less known about its status in valley. I have sighted and found its carcasses and rescued birds nearby human habitations.
It is a bird less sighted, in the year 2013 I came to know of an active nest with two fledglings under the roof top of an historical mosque in Srinagar. The second active nest I know about in human habitation was at Narkura where I was observing the nest, after a month the whole family was captured alive by locals for purpose of selling it. One more active nest was on Chinar (platanusorientails) tree hollow at Habak where the bird was captured from nest for examination and nest monitoring. The nest of the Barn Owl was examined to ascertain the cause of mortality to the family. It appeared that the deaths which occurred to the earlier members were due to lack of food that was straight away attributed to the heavy snow fall.
The injured Barn Owls are rescued time to time from Srinagar. One of the barn owl that was rescued from a village near by Dachigam National Park had no signs of external injuries. It went to rehabilitation centre and after few days the Owl died. The wildlife veterinary doctor who did the post-mortem of the Owl told me that the Owl had internal parasites like worms and we are confused with it. But unfortunately, they were unaware that the barn Owl is the host of a wide range of parasites. The birds are attacked by feathers lice and mites which chews the barbules of feathers and which is transferred from bird to bird by direct contact. The internal parasites include fluke, tape worm and spiny headed worm. These parasites are acquired in the body when bird feeds on infected prey which provides intermediate hosts for the parasites.
I received a phone call once, late in evening, regarding a Barn Owl that was hit by a car and once I reached at spot the Owl was trying to escape from the site. The bird was surrounded by people and was captured alive. They started beating it with a stick on its face. Somehow, I managed to rescue the Owl and called Wildlife SOS for help. After half an hour they reached at the spot where I handed over the bird to them.
Next day morning I received a call from the Head of Wildlife SOS Kashmir, Aaliya Mir, she told me the owl had received multiple injuries. The major injury was on right wing; the carpal joint had got fractured and needed immediate surgery. She said that their Veterinarian will do surgery and will fix clips to give support to the carpal joint.
Long-eared Owl:
It has erect ear-tufts, orange-brown coloration to facial discs, orange (rather than yellow) eyes, greyish (rather than buff) background coloration to upper parts, more heavily streaked belly and flanks. In flight are orange-buff base coloration to primaries and tail feathers and more rounded wings and shorter tail.
Mainly a winter visitor to Kashmir valley but has bred here too. It has a breeding record from Gurez valley, Bandipora (North Kashmir). It was B.A.G Shelley (BNHS 10: 149) had recorded the first nest with 4 highly incubated eggs in June 1895.
This specie had been described by many birdwatchers as vagrant, rare and locally uncommon. In past years the long-eared owl has been sighted continuously during the winters at different locations/areas in Kashmir valley.
- Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary, Shopian (South Kashmir). A single bird was sighted there which was injured and rescued by Wildlife Protection Department (via social Media).
- Manasbal, Bandipora (North Kashmir). In 2019 where large number of groups almost 30 individuals were sighted in thickets of popular and deodar plantation (via direct sighting by author)
- Kupwara (North Kashmir). In 2020 again a single bird was sighted and was injured. There is no such report of rescue of this bird via (via social media)
Last year I got a phone call from a birdwatcher friend Umar Nazir he told me that there are almost 20 to 25 Owls which were roosting on the tree line near a lake. We first thought that they must be common Owls, but what we found was unbelievable. They were Northern Long-eared Owls. The team members included Rouf Sadiq Tantray, Adil Basheer, Arif Gani and Syed Athar.
The bird was never recorded in the checklist of Jammu and Kashmir. Although there were records of its distribution in Kashmir, but this was one of the rare sightings as we counted 30 birds. We also rescued one of the birds who was stuck in the wire and was badly injured. The team took the bird to Dr. Shabir, former veterinarian of Wildlife department, at his home who treated the bird and after the over-night rest, released it to join with its group.
Asian Barred Owlet:
The Asian Barred Owlet is a small bird of prey with more barred then streaked. Head and nape are finely spotted pale buff. The mantle is less barred with upper sides of head, neck and wing converts are dull brown with a distinct white patch on throat. The breast is barred dark brown and dull fulvous white. Upper breast with paler brown and white bars with lower part is less barred then streaked and tail is blackish with bars.
A resident Owlet having the distribution ranges from northern parts of Indian subcontinent to parts of Southeast Asia. In the year of November 2016, I sighted the Owlet on a perch with Sheikh Riyaz and Ghulam Ahmad Bhat at Dachigam National Park.
Eurasian Eagle Owl:
The Eurasian Eagle Owl is a very large raptor with having 6 fts of wingspan. The plumage coloration is highly variable among the sub species. They have brownish or rich rufous plumage, broad black streaking on the upper parts, head and breast. The lower belly is pale brown. The barrel shaped body with distinctive ear tufts and orange eyes. Wings and tail are barred.
A non-migrant bird with local movements for feeding within range is rare to uncommon in Kashmir valley. Typically, bird of mountain regions but also reported in many habitats. Once we were at Dagwan valley we heard calls of Eurasian Eagle Owl during mid night. There are very few sightings. On February 2016 the bird was sighted by two birdwatchers Intesar Suhail and Rouf Sadiq. I have sighted this bird once. It’s a very impressive nocturnal hunter which is smaller than Golden Eagle but larger than other owls.
Another sighting was somewhere in Baramulla, north Kashmir, which we came to know via social media some years before.
Collared Owlet:
The owlet is grey brown colour with more barred from back and also flanks. Head is more spotted rather than barred. Eyes have vibrant lemon-yellow colour and with white from centre of breast and belly. Nape has two black spots simulate eye spots. It seems look like owl is keep eyes from behind. The species lacks ear tuft.
The bird of prey is well distributed and its range distribution from south Asia to south-east Asia.
It is a bird which varies in different habitat preferring. I sighted Collared Owlet in different habitats in Srinagar. In Dachigam National Park, its habitat varies from Oak Patch, Parrotia to mixed grasslands with scrub.
I sighted it nearby forest edge of erstwhile City Forest National Park, presently Royal Springs Golf Course and another in kicker plantation near milk plant Cheshmashai where it was roosting at dusk.
The collared owlet is also reported from Shanker Acharay hill and also from Sind valley. Its activities are diurnal. I saw a one collared owlet; it had preyed upon a bird, Cinereous Tit, on a perch at Dachigam National Park.
On February 2019, I along with my friend, Sheikh Riyaz, was on a birding trip to City Forest National Park Srinagar. We heard a sound, as if something had hit a window pane. We went to the direction very quickly and saw a Collared Owlet was lying on ground. I took it in my hands, a cute little creature, was showing no signs of movement. I started to rub the muscles near the heart and give the Owlet mouth to mouth breath after few seconds the Tarsus start showing griping movements.
We made a phone call to wildlife Veterinarian of Wildlife SOS Kashmir Dr. Shabir Mir. Sheikh Riyaz told him the situation of the owlet. The Doctor sent a prescription via SMS. We ran three kilometres towards the vet medicine shop to give medication to the Owlet. In this process also took the measurements of the Owlet. After sometime the bird was active. We put the bird into a cardboard box and went at same place where this incident took place. We released the Owlet and it took a successful flight. It was an emotional movement for both of us. In a mean time, another Owlet joined him, took a long flight and disappeared in front of our eyes.
Brown Fish Owl:
As it was never recorded or sighted in the past, I was waiting for years to record and sight the Brown Fish Owl. On 4th February 2020, the bird was sighted at Dachigam National Park by an employee Shabir Ahmad Bhat of Wildlife SOS India. He came up with photographic records and shared it with me. After few days I met him and we went to the habitat where he made this first record. The place was favourable for Owl and near a stream.
The species in its distribution range is all year-round resident and habitat requirement is woodland with bordering streams.
Brown Fish Owl’s upper parts are rufous brown and heavily streaked with dark brown with under parts are buffy fulvous to whitish with dark brown streaks and fine brown barring. Throat is white with facial disk is in distinct and eyes are golden yellow. It has prominent ear tufts and hangs to side of head.
Comparatively from past there is a rapid decrease in population of theses owls. Some 20 years before theses owls were very commonly seen and their calls were heard during dusk. Nowadays it is rare to hear those calls or sight an owl.
These Owls are captured alive from nests and sold for around 15 to 20 thousand rupees because of some myths and superstitions. Habitat degradation and electrocution are other big threats. Nothing concrete has been done towards the conservation and research or surveys for this specie have been neglected.
At some nesting places and perching sites, during sunny days in winters, the owls come out from hollows to keep themselves warm from sunlight that is when they are exposed mostly to the threats. In the month of March when the snow starts melting I have found few carcasses lying near nesting sites or hollows at different places.
The reason could be starvation due to harsh winters. The starvation cases with Owls, especially with Tawny Owls, are found time by time in Kashmir valley and were examined through post-mortem by the concerned organisations that are Wildlife SOS India and Department of Wildlife Protection J&K.
During the winter, the huge snowfall brings food shortage and higher mortality rate in the world of avifauna. We have observed that during snowfall the food is harder to get, as it is hard for the birds to find the prey, as they hibernating underground. The Owls mostly do not come out of their hollows as to maintain body temperature.
Right now, it’s an alarming situation; the conservation organisations should take immediate steps to save these beautiful creatures. Awareness programs should be started among in locals, long-term research and surveys should be done from time to time besides a rescue and rehabilitation centre specifically for raptors should be built in Kashmir valley.
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