Owls Can't Move Their Eyes Like We Do

 Here's A Closeup Look 

This Northern Boobook (Ninox japonica) is an owl photographed in Okinawa, Japan.

The Japanese would call it (アオバズク) Aobazuku. 

It's a medium-sized owl that's a subspecies of the Brown Hawk Owl.

Notice it has a round-shaped head without any ear-tufts sticking out of it.

Bright yellow eyes, some folks think are comical (not me), and yellow talons are noticeable.

Other identifying marks are the dark brown feathers with brown and white streaks upfront.

The bird also has a distinctive black beak.

Hang on for the Eyeball Part!

It took a while for me to get proof from National Geographic that owls can't move their eyes.

They have to swivel their heads around because their eyeballs aren't in sockets like ours.

Here's an animation, made from several photos, of the bird looking around for prey.

It was the morning before a typhoon so, things are kind of misty and windy.

These birds are found in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

They hang out in wooded areas and forests up to 1700 meters in elevation.

The bird is a raptor that catches insects in flight and that's not all they eat.

They've been known to grab smaller birds, lizards, and bats.

See more about this Northern Boobook at:

Avibase

National Geographic

Wikipedia

Sashiba (サシバ) The Raptor in Flight

Grey-faced Buzzard Eagle

This bird is known locally as a Sashiba. Scientific name: Butastur indicus.

They migrate from northern territories and winter in Okinawa.

Normally the birds reside here from November to March and, they are nice to have around.

Raptors, are birds of prey with sharp, hooked beaks that shred meat and, sharp talons.

They swoop down and grab snakes, rats, mice, bugs, and other pests.

This is a fairly large one, that hangs around a field, about 15 minutes walk, from my office.

Now, that I know where he hunts, I may be spending the rest of the month, watching.

It would be my pleasure, to capture a photo of this guy, grabbing and eating a mongoose!

Wildlife Images: Crow vs Buzzard Eagle

Crows Are Permanent Residents on Okinawa

Grey-faced Buzzard Eagles, migrate from somewhere north and, spend the winters here.

The crows, sometimes harass, these out of town visitors.

Crows, are pretty good at mimicking other birds when they are flying.

This one was, buzzing around, trying to scare the eagle out of its territory.

As you can see, the crow is larger than, the bird it's chasing.

Crows are scavengers, good at pecking things but, not dumb enough to attack an eagle.

That little bird has a meat-shredding beak and strong, sharp talons, to kill things with.

So, when the crow, gets too close, it drops its legs and shows, the concealed weapons.

Then, the scavenger, goes looking for something else, to do.

A Bird Known as Sashiba (サシバ) in Japan

Migratory Visitor to Okinawa

 

 

These birds reside in northern areas of China, Japan and Russia.

During the winter months they visit Taiwan and our islands.

Common Name: Grey-faced Buzzard Eagle

Scientific Name: Butastur indicus

Taking a wild guess, I'd say, this one must be a juvenile because it was small.

It couldn't have been much taller than, the length of my hand.

Buzzard Eagles diet consists of snakes, rodents and frogs, most of the time.

Last year, I spotted one, catching and devouring large grasshoppers and bugs.

The species, at one point in history, became endangered in Taiwan.

It seems hunters were after the bird's feathers and hides, to sell in Japan.

They say, a seasoned hunter could, nail 70-80 birds, on a good night.

The eagles, were also being used for Chinese medicines and falconry.

Learn about the conservation of this species at Birding in Taiwan. 

REFERENCES:

Bird Research News (PDF)

Birdlife International 

Global Raptors

Okinawa Kaeru

Editor's Picks for Month of November 2012

The Honors All Went to the Birds

Grey Face in Flight

On the Prowl

Raptor in Flight

Rock Thrush on the Rocks

To view these photos at higher resolution and see camera specs click on the titles.

All my Editor's Picks, this month were taken with a Sigma 50-500mm Lens

Location: Okinawa, Japan.

Wildlife Photo (Bird) Grey-faced Buzzard Eagle in Flight

 The Grey-faced Buzzard Eagle (Butastur indicus) is a medium-sized raptor which breeds in East Russia, Northeast China, Korea and Japan during the summer. It migrates to South East Asia from autumn until spring.

They only visit Okinawa from November until March so I have to catch as many shots of them in flight as I can while they're hunting rodents and reptiles. A shot like this one where I caught the bird circling overhead on a sunny day is rare. They usually perch in a tree where they can observe a field or open space below. When they spot a snake or mouse they will swoop down with such speed there's no time to focus.

More of Okinawa's Wildlife Here.