Strix nivicolum
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The Himalayan owl or Himalayan wood owl (Strix nivicolum) is a medium-sized owl native to the forests and mountain ranges of the Himalayas, Taiwan and Korea. Although populations are declining, this owl is not considered endangered and is currently listed as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its large range and slow decline. The Himalayan owl is nocturnal and is rarely seen in most areas of its range. Few studies have been done on its lifestyle and current population trends.
The Himalayan owl measures 35–40 cm and has a wingspan of approximately 270mm, classifying it as a medium-sized owl. The Himalayan Owl has warm-toned, tawny-coloured, plumage with light brown, dark brown and white colouring across its body. Its chest is light brown and white with vertical dark brown stripes, while its wings and tail feathers are darker with white horizontal bands and light patches towards the tips. Its head is round and without ear tufts and is a dark brown colour with lighter speckling, similar to its wings. The Himalayan owl has a small, hooked, yellow beak located around half an inch under its eyes in the center of its paler coloured face. Unlike many bird... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Langtang National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everland | 🇰🇷 South Korea | |
| 2 | Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | |
| 3 | Ueno Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Himalayan Owl sighting in Langtang National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 213th most-seen of the 225 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Himalayan Owl in Langtang National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Himalayan Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Langtang National Park, in our data
Langtang National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Himalayan Owl sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Himalayan Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Langtang National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
