Chennai: A fan of birds and friends on Sunday night seeing speckled wooden owls, rare species, in Madayathur reserve forests between Chengalpet and Tiruporur.
A D Ajay, a bird fan who returned with his friend Jagadish Raguraman in a two-wheeled vehicle, said they crossed the forest area they heard the call of owl.
“We thought it was Scooc Owl.
We first saw the foot and then slowly, the bird came out and perched on a tree branch.
Without wasting time, we took 3-4 images and came home.
The next day we verified the images with available Online and find it is a speckled wooden owl (STRIX Ocellata).
This species member is difficult to see when they join the color of the trees, “he said.
Three years ago, the residents of the IIT-M campus saw the bird’s foot.
But Voce was recorded and helped identify it as a speckled wooden owl.
“We are the first photo in the last 20 years,” claimed Ajay after verifying in e bird, online portal where the appearance of various species of birds was recorded.
Madras Naturalis’ The community of President V Sudhakar said he examined with community members and found not many who saw birds seen 45 years ago near Chengalpet.
Another record near Red Hills.
“It’s rarely seen in the city limits,” he said.
The bird, Naturalist T Murugavel said, was nocturnal and his call could be heard at dawn and dusk.
It requires old big trees to nest and breed and need to preserve his habitat.
Forests ordered on the outskirts must be protected from human pressure.
Only so rare species like this can continue existence, he said.