PREVIEW OF SOS CALENDAR 2012

Spot-bellied Eagle Owl or Forest Eagle Owl Bubo nipalensis

Interesting record of a large owl Spot-bellied Eagle Owl Bubo nipalensis found dead in campus of Mr. K. C. Pradhan at 6th Mile, Gangtok on 21 Jan'12. Could be case of poisoning; the bird might have eaten a poisoned rat or something.  Specimen with Forest staff for post-mortem. Do confirm if this is what is locally called KOIRALO in Nepali, and what the other local names are. You can hear it around Himalayan Zoological Park and Raj Bhavan, but this is the first close view of an uncommon bird. Good record by Pradhan Sir. Same individual front and back views. Local people say “Koiralo ley Biralo khaancha”, but we have yet to get proof. Salim Ali calls this 'Huhu' in Nepali; Any Lepcha names?

Chewang Rinchen Bonpo comments that this is a rare owl he saw only once in Kaziranga National Park, Assam and that its Sikkimese/Bhutia name is LA-KUME.