Photo: Somaskanda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown Fish Owl
Ketupa zeylonensis
Brown Fish Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis) — Owls of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown Fish Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 1.1 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Ketupa
- Species zeylonensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.1 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown Fish Owl hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of rivers and riverside habitats, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Brown Fish Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown Fish Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR, PAL Middle East to se Asia.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.1 kg, with a wing length of about 38.1 cm and a tail of around 18.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown Fish Owl?
The Brown Fish Owl is a very large bird that weighs around 1.1 kg.
Where does the Brown Fish Owl live?
The Brown Fish Owl is found across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR, PAL Middle East to se Asia, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Brown Fish Owl belong to?
The Brown Fish Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Brown Fish Owl eat?
The Brown Fish Owl hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Brown Fish Owl migrate?
The Brown Fish Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown Fish Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Brown Fish Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Brown Fish Owl — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown Fish Owl's range?
The Brown Fish Owl has a mapped global range of about 5.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Near Threatened
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.