Recently, a Rock Eagle Owl nest prompted the Telangana forest department to halt quarrying operations for over a month.
About Rock Eagle Owl
It is also called Indian eagle-owl (Bubo bengalensis) or Bengal eagle-owl.
It is a large-horned owl species native to hilly scrub forests in India.
Appearance
It is usually brown and grey in colour, with a white throat patch that has black stripes.
It was earlier treated as a subspecies of the Eurasian eagle-owl.
Its chicks are born with white fluff which is gradually replaced by speckled feathers during the pre-juvenile moult after about two weeks.
It is usually seen in pairs. It has a deep resonant booming call that may be heard at dawn and dusk.
Habitat: They are especially seen near rocky places within the mainland of the Indian Subcontinent south of the Himalayas. They avoid humid evergreen forests and extremely arid areas.
Distribution: It is mainly found in South Asian countries like India, Nepal, Pakistan
Conservation Status of Rock Eagle Owl
IUCN: Least Concern
CITES: Appendix II
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
