Least Concern

Length about 33–39 cm; wingspan 80–95 cm; weight ~300–500 g. Medium-sized owl with a heart-shaped white facial disc, pale underparts, and buff to grey upperparts. Silent flight and large dark eyes are characteristic.

Resident across South and Southeast Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and surrounding regions. Non-migratory, generally sedentary.

Non-migratory; local dispersal may occur in search of prey or suitable nesting sites.

Mainly February to June in India, though timing may vary regionally. Pairs are monogamous and territorial.

Nests in tree cavities, abandoned buildings, or cliffs. The female lays 4–7 white eggs, incubated mainly by her. The male provides food and both parents feed the chicks.

Found in open countryside, farmland, grasslands, and lightly wooded areas. Often near human settlements, roosting in barns, old buildings, or hollow trees.

Primarily small mammals, especially rodents, but also birds, insects, and amphibians. Hunts at night using acute hearing and silent flight to locate prey.