The Spot-Bellied Eagle Owl Known As The Devil Bird Of Sri Lanka, With Hearts In Its Feathers

When We started looking for information about the spot-bellied eagle owl, which is also called the forest eagle owl, We kept seeing it described as having a “formidable appearance.” Which, okay, sure, they are a large bird of prey and that’s going to be a little off-putting for anyone upon first seeing them, but “formidable” wouldn’t be the first adjective I’d choose to describe them.

But was this a real animal? In the 1950s, ornithologist George Morton Henry, author of a definitive volume on the birds of Sri Lanka, decided that the devil bird actually was the spot-bellied eagle-owl (Bubo nipalensis blighi)[source: Eberhart]. This predatory bird, which is also known as the forest eagle owl, is found in a swath of South Asia stretching from India to Burma. It is about 21 inches (53 centimeters) in length and has heart-shaped spots and prominent black-and-white ear tufts that give it a suitably eerie appearance. But people who are fearful of it shouldn't worry, because it eats only game birds (like pheasants), reptiles and fish [source: Harrison].