Brown Wood Owl
Strix leptogrammica
褐林鸮
Introduction
A member of the typical owls family (Strigidae) and earless owl genus Strix. Found across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan, and south China. Resident breeder throughout south Asia. Inhabits dense forests. Highly nocturnal species that can often be located by the small birds that mob it while roosting in a tree.
Description
Medium-large owl measuring 45–57 cm in length. Upperparts are uniformly dark brown with faint white spotting on the shoulders. Underparts are buff-colored with brown streaking. The facial disc is brown or rufous, edged with white and lacks concentric barring. Eyes are dark brown. A distinctive white neckband is present. The sexes are similar in appearance.
Identification
The combination of dark brown upperparts with white shoulder spots, buff underparts with brown streaking, dark eyes, and white neckband distinguishes this species. The lack of concentric barring on the facial disc differentiates it from some other Strix owls. The white neckband is a key field mark.
Distribution & Habitat
Range extends across south and southeast Asia including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan, and southern China. Resident species throughout this range. Inhabits dense forest habitats exclusively.
Behavior & Ecology
Strictly nocturnal. Diet consists primarily of small mammals, birds, and reptiles. Produces a distinctive call described as (hoo) hoo hoo HOO, a deep goke-goke-ga-LOOO, or a loud scream. Alarm call is a bark-like wow-wow. Some subspecies have distinct vocalizations, such as the northern group producing a soft to-hooh similar to rock dove cooing, while the Javan subspecies has a loud, forceful single HOOH call.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Strix
- eBird Code
- brwowl1
Vocalizations
Subspecies (14)
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Strix leptogrammica bartelsi
Java
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Strix leptogrammica caligata
Hainan and Taiwan
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Strix leptogrammica chaseni
Belitung Island (Java Sea off southeastern Sumatra)
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Strix leptogrammica indranee
peninsular India
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Strix leptogrammica laotiana
southern Laos and central Vietnam (Annam)
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Strix leptogrammica leptogrammica
central and southern Borneo
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Strix leptogrammica maingayi
southern Myanmar, southern Thailand, and Malay Peninsula
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Strix leptogrammica myrtha
Sumatra
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Strix leptogrammica newarensis
Himalayas (Jammu and Kashmir to northeastern India)
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Strix leptogrammica niasensis
Nias Island (off northwestern Sumatra)
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Strix leptogrammica nyctiphasma
Banyak Island (off northwestern Sumatra)
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Strix leptogrammica ochrogenys
Sri Lanka
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Strix leptogrammica ticehursti
Myanmar to southeastern China, Thailand, northern Laos, and northern Vietnam
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Strix leptogrammica vaga
northern Borneo
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.