Introduction
The Andaman Hawk Owl is a small to medium-sized brown owl with a rounded head and no ear-tufts. It is also known as the Andaman Boobook.
Photo Gallery (4 pictures)
Sound Gallery
Information
Description: The facial disc is greyish. Eyes are yellow, cere is dull green and the bill is yellowish-horn, paler on the upper ridge and
tip. The crown and mantle are plain brown with indistinct fine ochre vermiculations. The mantle has a rufous tint.
Upperparts are brown, with the outer webs of the scapulars having larger pale cinnamon-buffish areas. Flight and tail feathers are barred brown and buff, with
the secondaries having a rufous tinge.
Underparts are pale brownish-buff, streaked chestnut-brown over the entire underside - these streaks appearing as long stripes from the neck to the belly.
Tarsi are feathered to the base of the toes, which a bare or sparsely bristled, and coloured yellowish. Claws are blackish-horn.
Size: Length 25-28cm. Wing length 167-170mm. No weight data available.
Habits: Little known, probably similar to the Brown Hawk Owl.
Voice: A short, hollow, guttural, downslurred croak repeated at intervals of several seconds - crauwu.
Hunting & Food: The Andaman Hawk Owl feeds mainly on insects. This owl has been observed hawking moths and beetles in flight.
Breeding: The breeding biology of this owl is virtually unknown.
Habitat: Mainly lowland forest. Has been observed hunting in low secondary forest.
Distribution: The Andaman Hawk Owl is endemic to the Andaman Islands.
Range of the Andaman Hawk Owl Ninox affinis
Status: Listed as 'Least Concern' by BirdLife International.
Original Description: Beavan, Robert Cecil. 1867. Ibis, New Series, vol. 3, p. 316.
