Differentiating Buffy Fish Owl and Brown Fish Owl

 Buffy Fish Owl was a common species we see but I can’t say the same for Brown Fish Owl. Nevertheless, the increase sighting of the Brown Fish Owl in recent year indicates that this species maybe skittish and in hiding. Still the Brown Fish Owl can be seen south to penang and southern Kedah state. 

 

While nest for buffy sigh owl have been observed in many location the Brown Fish Owl is only noted in Kedah area. Specific location was not mention in text.

 

General information

 

Species / Description	Buffy Fish Owl	Brown Fish Owl
Distribution	Common local resident south to Johore.	Locally and uncommonly resident. South to Kedah. Modern record in Penang juru and in 2023 sighted in Penang Island
Breeding	Recorded mainly in October to December. Nest  in different structure including abandoned diurnal raptor nest and bird nest fern.	Recorded only in northern kedah. Using a abandoned stick nest of a diurnal raptor. Breeding seasonality in December.

 

 

Below are some information on how to differentiate the species.

 

Species / Description	Buffy Fish Owl	Brown Fish Owl
Head	More whitish on face Buffish throat rather than white of the Brown Fish Owl. Absent of dark shaft on face	Lack of white on face. White throat patch more prominent Show dark shaft on face
body	Rich rufous with browdly streaked above and narrowly streak below with black.	Brownish buff, sometimes have 2 broad wing bar. Underpart finely barred with brown. Extend lower compare to buffy fish owl
Tail	Narrowly barred Wing short of tail tip	Wing at rest end beyond tail tip to equal.
Eye	Yellow and golden yellow	Golden yellow
Bare part	Greyish black	Bill pale greenish grey

 

Brown Fish Owl

Buffy Fish Owl