The Andaman hawk-owl, or Ninox affinis, is a medium to small-sized owl which belongs to the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Andaman Islands of India. Also called the Andaman boo-book, this owl has a round head and no ear-tufts, a grayish facial disc, yellow eyes and a yellowish bill.
It feeds mainly on insects such as moths and beetles, catching them mid-flight. It prefers tropical and subtropical, moist lowland forests, lowland secondary forests and mangrove forests. They are found all over the Andaman Islands and are non-migratory, resident birds, and disperse locally after breeding. There is no information on the reproduction and breeding habits of this owl species.
The overall global population of this species is decreasing. Habitat destruction and the capture of adults and juveniles for trading as pets are the main threats endangering their survival. Earlier, this species was listed under ‘Near Threatened’, but in 2017 it was upgraded to ‘Least Concern’ status by the IUCN.
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