Brown Fish Owl
Hindhede nature park
26 May 2022


General details
Species Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis
Record ID 10261
Date 26 May 2022
Location Hindhede nature park
Count 1 individual
Sex Presumably male
Related records 1035, 1040
Date added 28 May 2022

Committee's view
Background
The Singapore Bird Records Committee agreed that the identification was not in doubt. However on balance we voted on a conservative stance that it was likely to be an escapee, at least until evidence of undetected southern Malaysian populations are discovered. The points below are summarised from the voting rationales of all three related records (as of 9 August 2023).

The Committee also agreed that this species, wild having a possibility of being in trade (though being a point which applies to virtually all birds), is not conclusively known in the local trade scene either.

Points for wild visitor:
While there is no evidence that the species is spreading south along Peninsula Malaysia, it is a nocturnal species that could be easily overlooked.

Points for escapee:
This species is not found in southern Malaysia and as of current knowledge is a sedentary species with no documentation of vagrancy. There are records from Seychelles, but with debated origin (Skerett & Seychelles Bird Records Committee, 2001). Even in northern Malaysia, it is not a common bird.

Vote results For: 7
Escapee: 6, Wild: 1
Verdict Accepted / Escapee (Verifiable)


Revisions to this record
Date revised Changes made
09 Aug 2023 Background updated for rationale behind voting results.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (2022). Record 10261: Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis. Retrieved October 9, 2024, from https://records.singaporebirds.com/record/10261/.

Media
Credit for photo(s): Norhafiani A Majid


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