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The Indian eagle-owl ( Bubo bengalensis), or the Bengal eagle-owl or rock eagle-owl, is a large horned owl species native to hilly and rocky scrub forests in the Indian subcontinent. It is splashed with brown and grey, and has a white throat patch with black small stripes. It was earlier treated as a subspecies of the Eurasian eagle-owl. It is usually seen in pairs. It has a deep resonant booming call that may be heard at dawn and dusk.
The taxonomy of the group is complex due to a large amount of variation. Dementiev was the first to consider the possibility of B. bengalensis being distinct within the Bubo bubo group. However, Charles Vaurie noted that this species as well as B. ascalaphus appeared to be distinct and not part of a clinal variation. There is a lot of colour variation with the ground colour being dark brown above while some are pale and yellowish. On dark birds the streaks coalesce on the hind crown and nape but are narrow in pale birds. However, Vaurie notes that despite the variation, they are distinct from neighbouring forms B. b. tibetanus, B. b. hemachalana and B. b. nikolskii, in being smaller and richly coloured. Stuart Baker noted that there were two plumage variants that were seen across their range, one plumage has the back and scapulars spotted in white while the other form has a reduced number of white spots on the feathers of the back and the dark streaking on the back, neck and scapulars being prominent.
Chicks are born with white fluff which is gradually replaced by speckled feathers during the pre-juvenile moult after about two weeks. After a month or so they go through a basic moult and a brownish juvenile plumage is assumed with the upperparts somewhat similar to adults but the underside is downy. The full adult plumage is assumed much later.
Its diet through much of the year consists of rodents, but birds seem to be mainly taken towards winter. Prey species of birds include Grey francolin, doves, Indian roller, shikra, black kite, house crow and the spotted owlet. Birds the size of a peafowl are sometimes attacked. Rodents noted in a study in Pondicherry were Tatera indica, Golunda ellioti, Rattus sp., Mus booduga and Bandicota bengalensis. Pteropus were also preyed on. In Pakistan, Nesokia indica is an important prey item in their diet. Mammals the size of an Indian hare ( Lepus nigricollis) may be taken. In Pakistan, it has preyed on Lepus capensis and Eupetaurus cinereus.
When feeding on rodents, it tears up the prey rather than swallowing it whole. Captives feed on about 61g of prey per day.
The nesting season is November to April. The eggs number three or four and are creamy white, broad roundish ovals with a smooth texture. They are laid on bare soil in a natural recess in an earth bank, on the ledge of a cliff, or under the shelter of a bush on level ground. The nest site is reused each year. The eggs hatch after about 33 days and the chicks are dependent on their parents for nearly six months.
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