The Oriental bay owl (Phodilus badius) name comes from its bay or heart-shaped facial disk, which is a feature it shares with other barn owls. It has large, dark eyes highlighted by a V-shaped face with dark vertical ridges and small, rounded tufts that can change shape depending on the owl's expression. Its heart-shaped face helps funnel sound to its ears, and its eyes have a unique red reflective layer that enhances vision in low light. Male and females look similar, but females are often slightly larger than males. The Oriental bay owl is a stealthy nocturnal hunter which has the ability to fly silently through dense forests due to its short, rounded wings. It is found in woodland, plantations, and mangrove swamps across South and Southeast Asia from eastern India and southern China, through Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia, reaching as far as Borneo and Java.
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