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Brown Fish Owl


Brown Fish Owl
Photo Information
Copyright: Tom Conzemius (pirate) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 799 W: 152 N: 1186] (7474)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-12-29
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L USM
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/60 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-01-19 5:08
Viewed: 5068
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
from Wikipedia

The Brown Fish Owl, Bubo zeylonensis or Ketupa zeylonensis, is an owl. This species is a part of the family known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The Brown Fish Owl and three related species were previously placed in the genus Ketupa; mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data is equivocal on which genus name is applied for this species (Olsen et al. 2002).

This is a large (55cm) owl. The upperparts are reddish brown, heavily streaked with black or dark brown. The underparts are buff with brown streaking. The throat is white. The eyes are yellow, and there are prominent "ears". Sexes are similar.

This species is a resident breeder in most of tropical south Asia from the Pakistan to south China; west of its main range, it is patchily distributed to the northern Levant. Its habitat is open wooded country, lowland forest and plantations, always near water.


Foot showing adaptations to catch fish.In prehistoric times, this species was apparently present all over the central and eastern Mediterranean basin. These birds differed in size and have been separated as paleosubspecies B. z. lamarmorae (Dejaut, 1911). They are known from (probably) the Early Pliocene onwards (c.5 mya); at the onset of the last ice age, this population disappeared from the western part of its range, while the easternmost populations were probably subsumed in the gene pool of semenowi (Mlíkovský, 2003). The Late Miocene - Early Pliocene taxon "Strix" perpasta and the Late Pleistocene Bubo insularis are considered to be junior synonyms of the paleosubspecies by some (Mlíkovský, 2002).

It lays one or two eggs, often in the old stick nest of other birds, or in a rock crevice. Incubation is up to 38 days, and the young fledge after about 7 weeks.

This species is very nocturnal but it can often be located by the small birds that mob it while it is roosting in a tree. It feeds mainly on fish and frogs. The call is a soft huphuphuphuphuphup or a loud huhuhuhuhuhuhu.
kebapci, Adanac, vral has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
the world's OWLSwinterpalace 1 12-01 08:49
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Critiques [Translate]

A different subspecies once lived in my country. Sadly it is almots a history now. Hope they would take care of this beautifully depicted bird by you

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1273 W: 1 N: 6188] (21378)
  • [2008-01-19 7:55]

Hello Tom,
What a strikingly beautiful species captured superbly by your excellent camera work. As with most owls we are drawn to those big beautiful eyes. Thank you for sharing Tom.
Rick

Hi Tom,
I fallow your nice captures from Oriental Region (zoogeographically). This is great capture from this owl species. It is one of first shots on TN. I found (on TN) only several one up to now. I think Ketupa zeylonensis is rare species which occurs very rarely in central parts of Southern Turkiye, in Western Palaerctic or Palaearctic Region. You present it perfect composition, focus, and POV. I'm forward to seeing other captures of your trip. thanks for sharing. have a nice weekend
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • vral Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 65 W: 1 N: 218] (1049)
  • [2008-01-19 17:02]

Hello Tom,

Wonderful, rare capture of this owl. POV,DOF and details are very good. Tree trunk on the left needs little cropping though it emphasises the camouflage of the bird.Useful notes.

Thanks for sharing

-vral

  • Great 
  • darwin Gold Star Critiquer [C: 259 W: 0 N: 403] (1401)
  • [2008-01-19 18:03]

Hi Tom
Could not see the owl in the thumbnail
Nice presentation of the owl camouflaged against the tree trunk
Fine detail
tfs jon

  • Great 
  • lizzie Gold Star Critiquer [C: 207 W: 0 N: 605] (2855)
  • [2008-01-19 18:54]

Hi Tom,

So well camouflaged, you had an eye to spot him. I really like the composition, very small owl in a big tree and you've captured it with good details and a nice light.. Very well done!

Lise

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1127 W: 254 N: 3161] (14464)
  • [2008-01-19 23:51]

Hi Tom,

A very well camouflaged capture,you were lucky to notice this guy,the picture itself is razorsharp and got exellent colors and details,tfs

Paul

Wow! This is a superb specie! I'm amazed by those details you captured @ F2.8. Use of flash is much appropriated in a good POV and composition. Well seen and well done!
Claudine

nice capture, they are so rare in our region, TFS Ori

Hi Tom

Well spotted! I was trawling TN for owls for my new theme and on the Thumbnail did not see the owl. (May be, need new specs :-))

I was very interested to read about the adapted feet to catch fish!

And there I thought, I had seen all the special evolution examples in the Galapagos...

TFS

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