The Buffy Fish Owl (Ketupa ketupu) gets its name from its buff-coloured (pale yellow-brown) plumage and its primary diet of fish. It is also known as the Malay Fish Owl, due to its common occurrence in the Malay Peninsula and surrounding areas. This owl is characterised by its prominent, tousled ear tufts and, uniquely for owls, feathers that are not waterproofed for diving. It inhabits tropical forests near water, often near human habitation, and has an unusually varied diet including fish, crabs, and frogs, often snatching them from shallow water with its talons while perched on banks. Buffy fish owls do not build their own nests, instead using tree hollows, forks of branches, or bird's nest ferns, occasionally nesting behind waterfalls.