Ahead of the arrival of eight cheetahs from Botswana, Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh has recorded the endemic and endangered Forest Owlet, for the first time.
Spotting of the Forest Owlet marks a significant expansion in the known distribution area of the owl species which is currently listed as ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN, with an estimated global adult population ranging between 250 and 999.
Also known as Blewitt’s Owl, the endemic bird was first discovered in 1872 by Irish officer and naturalist FR Blewitt in eastern Madhya Pradesh but was considered extinct after 1884. After about 113 years, it was rediscovered in 1997 in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra which created a sensation in the world of ornithology.
It is currently found in fragmented forest areas of central India, including parts of MP (Khaknar, Piplod), Maharashtra (Toranmal, Melghat) and Gujarat (Dangs, Purna Wildlife Sanctuary). In MP, the Forest Owlet was previously found only in the eastern Khandwa, Burhanpur and Betul districts, which border Maharashtra.
“The recording of the Forest Owlet in Kuno National Park is a significant event for biodiversity conservation in India. This is extremely important because this bird is one of the world’s rarest raptors and also for its potential ecological implications for habitat management associated with Project Cheetah,” MP’s principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF-Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden Subharanjan Sen said. According to official sources, the rare bird was first spotted in KNP by Labh Yadav, a local tourism operator during a routine field trip in Parond Beat. Based on key identification features, Vivek Patel of the Wildlife Research and Conservation Society, Pune confirmed it on the spot, making it the first authentic record of the species from Kuno NP.
Importantly, unlike most owls which are nocturnal (hunt in the night and sleep in the day), the Forest Owlet is primarily a diurnal bird. It is most active between 6 am and 10 am and can be seen perched on the branches of tall trees even in the harsh sunlight.
“Following the first recorded sighting of the endangered owl species at the KNP, now more surveys are needed to understand its distribution in Madhya Pradesh,” Sen added.
Experts at the state Forest department’s wildlife wing say this development proves that conservation efforts for the cheetahs are improving the ecosystem and leading to the recovery of other endangered species too. The discovery of this species in the northern region of Madhya Pradesh, neighbouring Rajasthan, has sparked excitement among bird conservationists.