Forest Owl Rediscovered India
After more than a century, a forest owl species has been rediscovered in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park — a scientific milestone that underlines the park's importance for biodiversity and offers new opportunities for birdwatchers and conservation enthusiasts.
The Forest Owlet, also known as Blewitt's Owl, was first described in 1873 by A.O. Hume after being discovered by Irish officer F. R. Blewitt in eastern Madhya Pradesh. After the last confirmed sighting in 1884, the species was considered extinct for 113 years. A significant reason for the long period without sightings was a fraudulent specimen. A British collector, Richard Meinertzhagen, had stolen a specimen from a museum, falsified the location data to Gujarat in 1914, and submitted it as his own finding, which led to numerous unsuccessful searches in the wrong area. The species was dramatically rediscovered on November 25, 1997, by American ornithologist Dr. Pamela Rasmussen and her team. They found the bird in the foothills of the Satpura Range in northwestern Maharashtra, not far from one of the original 19th-century collection sites. Endemic to central India, the Forest Owlet is now listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The global adult population is estimated to be less than 1,000 individuals, with deforestation being its primary threat. This diurnal owl is often mistaken for the more common Spotted Owlet, which contributed to the difficulty in its rediscovery. It typically inhabits dry deciduous forests, using tree cavities for nesting. The recent sighting in Kuno National Park is significant as previous rediscoveries and population surveys were concentrated in Maharashtra and other parts of Madhya Pradesh. This new location expands its known range and highlights the ecological importance of the park.
