BAY OWL

(species Phodilus badius), uncommon and atypical Asian owl of the family Phodilidae (order Strigiformes) with a heart-shaped facial disk having two earlike extensions dorsally that aid sound reception. Bay owls are sometimes classified with the barn owls (Tytonidae) and sometimes with the typical owls (Strigidae). The bay owl, which is found in Southeast Asia, is entirely nocturnal and retiring. The Congo bay owl of Africa, which is sometimes classified as a separate species, is even less well known to ornithologists. Bay owls eat insects, lizards, frogs, and small mammals and birds.