Spot Bellied Eagle Owl was recently spotted in Seshachalam forest of Andhra Pradesh for the first time.
About Spot Bellied Eagle Owl
Scientific name: Bubo nipalensis
Spot Bellied Eagle Owl is also known as the forest eagle-owl.
They are large, very powerful and bold predatory birds.
It measures about 50 to 65 cm in length and weighs 1500 to 1700 grams.
Distribution:
It is a forest-inhabiting species found in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
These species occur in altitudes from 300 to 3000 meters.
Conservation
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule IV
CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora): Appendix II.
Seshachalam Hills
The Seshachalam Hills are a part of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh.
They are a group of seven hills namely, Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrishabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri.
The ranges were formed during the Precambrian era (3.8 billion to 540 million years ago)
The Seshachalam hills consist of sandstone and shale along with limestone.
Tirupati which is considered as one of the major Hindu pilgrimage towns in India is located in the hills.
The Srivenkateshwara National Park is also located in this mountain range.
Seshachalam was designated as a Biosphere Reserve in the year 2010
It has large reserves of red sandalwood.
