Short-eared owl sighted in Mancherial for first time

Abdul Raheem, a software professional from Karimnagar and a member of Hyderabad Birding Pals (HBP) said he had captured a photograph of the bird while he was birding at the tank

Mancherial: A short-eared owl was sighted in the district for the first time. Its photograph was taken by a wildlife photographer at an irrigation tank at Venkatraopet village in Luxettipet mandal on Monday.

Abdul Raheem, a software professional from Karimnagar and a member of Hyderabad Birding Pals (HBP) said he had captured a photograph of the bird while he was birding at the tank. He stated that he uploaded the details of the discovery on e-Bird website. The owl was sighted in Rangareddy, Sangareddy and Vikarabad districts in 2023.

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As per e-Bird, the owl is a Medium-sized owl, more frequently seen in the daytime than other owls. Especially active around dawn and dusk, when it flies lazily over open fields or marshes in search of small mammals.

District Forest Officer Shiv Aasheesh Singh said the owl was recorded in the district for the first time. He stated that the tank was home to a wide range of bird species including aquatic birds, raptors, storks, herons, etc., Long term monitoring at sites across the landscape would be taken up, in partnership with students and resource persons. Bird researchers and birding clubs were invited to collaborate with the forest department, he explained.

Some of the birds sighted at the tank included Red-crested pochard, Northern pintail, northern shovelers, ruddy shelduck, Gadwall, lesser whistling ducks, cotton pygmy goose, jacana, garganey, greater cormorant, Temminck’s stint and short-eared owl. Birders requested the officials to maintain a check-list of birds inhabiting the tank.

On Sunday, a migratory bird, a red-crested pochard was recorded in the same irrigation tank at Venkatraopet village for the first time.