Adult (left) is more brown and sleek, Juvenile (right) is whiter and fluffy and oh so cute. |
More about Spotted Wood owls
According to NParks' Flora and Fauna website: Spotted Wood owls (Strix seloputo) are Singapore's largest owl and is listed as Critically Endangered in Singapore. Also "This species was first seen in Singapore in December 1985 in the Central Catchment forest followed by a breeding record in August 1986. Since then the Spotted Wood Owl has been found in seven other sites. Population may be around 22 or more."
According to the Owl Pages: The adult is about 44-48cm tall, with wings about 30cm long. Females are larger than males.
The adult owls flew during day when their tree was being trimmed. |
They feed mainly on rats and mice, small birds and large insects.
Like other owls, they regurgitate inedible parts of the prey that they eat. I call it owl barf |
Breeding season is from January to August. Breeds in tree holes or in open branches, sometimes on the top of a Bird's nest fern, often high up in a tall tree. Usually 2, but sometimes 3 eggs are laid. They are oval, pure white and average about 4-5cm long. Eggs are laid on the wood or leaf debris. They don't build a nest.
MORE photos of the owls on wildsingapore flickr.
Here's the series of daily updates I posted on facebook.
2 Jul: Spotted wood owls in the morning!
3 Jul: What do owls eat?
4 Jul: Owl update - Chainsaws! But good news
5 Jul: Owls well
6 Jul: Owls good with THREE owls!
7 Jul: Owl right! More stories of the owl family
8 Jul: Owls OK!
9 Jul: Where's baby owl?!
10 Jul: Owl Day with owls
11 Jul: Owl kinds of ways of sleeping
12 Jul: Owls as usual
13 Jul: Barf Bonanza
13 Jul: Owl wet
14 Jul: Owls in the rain
15 Jul: What sounds do owls make?
and more wet owls
16 Jul: What do owls eat?
17 Jul: Owls briefly
18 Jul: Owls have long legs and twisty necks
19-20 Jul: Owls in a night storm
21 Jul: Owls good
22 Jul: Owl kinds of feathers
23 Jul: Owl flights
24-26 Jul: Owl GONE. Bye bye baby
A look back at 3 weeks of baby Spotted Wood owl
Flashback: Head bobbing by the baby owl
Flashback: More baby owl
27 Jul: Owl gone to a wilder neighbour hoot
Flashback: Baby owl's whinny wheeze
29 Jul: Updates on owls in the wild
30 Jul: Updates on owls in the wild
31 Jul: Updates on owls in the wild
5 Aug: Owls featured in Nature Society's Bird Group report
17 Aug: Update on owl family 3 weeks after they left the nesting tree
Flashback: Adults mating!
29 Aug: Update on owl family 5 weeks after they left the nesting tree area
2 Sep: Owl feathers
9 Sep: Update on owl family 6 weeks after they left the nesting tree area
Flashback: Baby owl eating a bird
17 Sep: Owls in the moonlight
28 Sep: Look back on the baby owl
28 Sep: Owls during the day!
10 Oct: Owl encounters - baby all grown up?
17 Oct: Return of the owls!
19 Oct: Owls after the storm
21 Oct: Only two owls?
4 Nov: Just two owls now
9 Nov: Owls in love!
17 Nov: Owls in the nesting tree
4 Dec: Owls as usual
14 Dec: Owlsome
25 Dec: Merry Owls
2 Jan: Happy 2017 with owls
7 Jan: Owls good!
25 Jan: Owl sunny today
25 Feb: Owls are back!
The owls were featured in the Straits Times!
4 Apr: Owls and pigeons!