A slim, medium-sized, very dark owl with long banded tail. Chocolate brown with some white on back and wings and heavily-streaked underparts. Andaman and Nicobar race all dark. Face mainly dark. No ear tufts. Irises yellow. Sexes alike. Hunts, singly or in pairs, insects, birds and other animals from favoured perch. Sweeping hawk-like flight with flaps and long glides. Usually crepuscular or nocturnal, roosting in thick canopy. Will also hunt on cloudy days. Nests in tree hole.

Sexes alike. Pale grey-brown plumage, profusely spotted, streaked and . marked with white, mostly below; dark shaftstripes; prominent ear-tufts and dull yellow eyes diagnostic. Mostly pairs, sometimes three to four scattered; has favoured roost-sites in large, leafy trees; may call and fly during daytime.

Small, relatively long-tailed owl, with darkly barred body; similar to Jungle, but larger, with buff, not rufous, primaries; body not so finely barred; longer, broader tail; lower flanks streaked not barred; heavily barred crown contrasts with spotted of Collared; also, no hind neck ‘face’; solitary, or in pairs; diurnal; often perches in open to search for prey; wags tail from side to side when disturbed or alarmed; undulating flight.

Sexes alike. Lacks ear tufts. Darkish brown above, barred rufous and white; flight feathers barred rufous and black; white moustachial stripe, centre of
breast and abdomen; remainder of underbody barred dark rufous-brown and white. The Asian Barred Owlet G. cuculoides (23cm) of the Himalaya is slightly larger and has abdominal streaks. Solitary or in pairs; crepuscular, but sometimes also active and noisy by day; otherwise spends day in leafy branch; flies short distance when disturbed.