Buffy Fish-Owl
Ketupa ketupu
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderStrigiformes (Owls)
- FamilyStrigidae (Typical Owls)
- GenusKetupa (Fish-Owls and Allied Eagle-Owls)
- SpeciesKetupa ketupu (Buffy Fish-Owl)
About the Buffy Fish-Owl
The buffy fish owl (Ketupa ketupu), also known as the Malay fish owl, is a fish owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to Southeast Asia and lives foremost in tropical forests and wetlands. Due to its wide distribution and assumed stable population, it is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004.
Strix ketupu was the scientific name proposed by Thomas Horsfield in 1821 for a buffy fish owl collected in Java. Ketupa was proposed as generic name by René-Primevère Lesson in 1831 for fish owl species from Java and India. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several zoological specimens of buffy fish owls were described:
Ketupa minor by Johann Büttikofer in 1896 were two small fish owls collected on Nias island with a wing chord of 29.5–30 cm (11.6–11.8 in), a tail of 14–14.5 cm (5.5–5.7 in), and a short bill of 3.5 cm (1.4 in). Bubo ketupu aagaardi by Oscar Neumann in 1935 was a pale fish owl specimen from Bangnara in Thailand with a wing chord of 31.5–34.5 cm (12.4–13.6 in).
Bubo ketupu pageli also by Neumann in 1935 was a reddish fish owl from the mountains of northeastern Borneo with a wing chord of 31–33 cm (12–13 in). Three are recognised today as Ketupa... Wikipedia →
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Sundarbans National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 7 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 8 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 9 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 11 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 12 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 13 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 14 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Buffy Fish-Owl in Sepilok?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Buffy Fish-Owl sighting in Sepilok, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Buffy Fish-Owl in Sepilok?
September has the highest sighting rate for Buffy Fish-Owl in Sepilok in our monthly data.