Photo: Tisha Mukherjee / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mottled Wood Owl
Strix ocellata
Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata) — Owls of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 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 Strix
- Species ocellata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1 kg
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mottled Wood Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Mottled Wood Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata) is a member of the Strigidae family, within the order Strigiformes. Its range spans South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR India and Myanmar.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1 kg, with a wing length of about 32.3 cm and a tail of around 17.7 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 2.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mottled Wood Owl?
The Mottled Wood Owl is a very large bird that weighs around 1 kg.
Where does the Mottled Wood Owl live?
The Mottled Wood Owl is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR India and Myanmar, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Mottled Wood Owl belong to?
The Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Mottled Wood Owl eat?
The Mottled Wood Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Mottled Wood Owl migrate?
The Mottled Wood Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Mottled Wood 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 Mottled Wood Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Mottled Wood 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 Mottled Wood Owl's range?
The Mottled Wood Owl has a mapped global range of about 2.3 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
More in Strigidae
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
More in Owls
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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.