Chinese Owl Pigeons

a.k.a. Whiskered Owls

A pair of Chinese Owls
Photo courtesy of Yia Lao

The Owl Pigeons are noted for their very short beaks and rounded heads. Due to the shortness of the beak, they are poor feeders of their young and often these are given to surrogate parents for raising.

Chinese Owls, also called Whiskered Owls, are medium sized birds with fairly profuse feathering and a frill of feathers (called pants) on the front of the thighs. A distinct frill (also called whiskers) begins on the chest and runs up to the sides of the cheeks. The Chinese has a longer beak than the other Owls and therefore can often feed its own young.