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Brown Hawk Owl joins in a badminton game

on 4th January 2010

Photographer Amit Thakurta documented a Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutulata) seizing the shuttlecock while he and his friends were playing badminton on the evening of 29th December 2009 in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India.

The images have been posted on the Bird Photography India and Delhibirdpix. Sumit K Sen of Kolkata posted the images in Birds of India and sent the link to KC Tsang after getting the permission of the photographer Amit Thakurta for BESG to repost them here. The account below is Amit’s story as told by Sumit.

“I would like to share an unusual experience with all of you. Some of my friends were playing badminton in a floodlit open court late in the evening. I was there and my camera was with me. Looking around, I saw a Brown Hawk Owl patiently watching the game from a nearby perch (above left).

“Suddenly, while the shuttlecock was in play, the bird made a sortie to catch the shuttle as if it was a prey species. However, it failed on this attempt and went back to the perch and continued observing the activity. This gave me the time to prepare my camera in anticipation of another try. And that attempt took place shortly afterward and the results are presented above.”

The top right image shows the owl seizing the shuttlecock; above left shows the owl flying off with the shuttlecock to its perch; and above right shows it manipulating the shuttlecock.

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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