Photo: Jayanth Sharma / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Tawny Fish Owl
Ketupa flavipes
Tawny Fish Owl (Ketupa flavipes) — 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 Tawny Fish Owl (Ketupa flavipes) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 2.3 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 flavipes
Quick facts
- Weight
- 2.3 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Tawny 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 Tawny Fish Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Tawny Fish Owl (Ketupa flavipes) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Himalayas to se Asia.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 2.3 kg, with a wing length of about 43.3 cm and a tail of around 20.7 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 2.6 million km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Tawny Fish Owl?
The Tawny Fish Owl is a very large bird that weighs around 2.3 kg.
Where does the Tawny Fish Owl live?
The Tawny Fish Owl is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Himalayas to se Asia, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Tawny Fish Owl belong to?
The Tawny Fish Owl (Ketupa flavipes) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Tawny Fish Owl eat?
The Tawny Fish Owl hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Tawny Fish Owl migrate?
The Tawny Fish Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Tawny 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.
How large is the Tawny Fish Owl's range?
The Tawny Fish Owl has a mapped global range of about 2.6 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.
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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.