Filling the gap: first regional record of the Little Owl Athene noctua ludlowi (Strigiformes: Strigidae) from Uttarakhand, India

Authors

  • Anuj Joshi Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India
  • Dhanesh Ponnu Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.
  • Vineet K. Dubey Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.
  • Sambandam Sathyakumar Wildlife Institute of India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10148.17.11.28007-28010

Keywords:

Camera trap, distribution, elevation, new record, Upper Bhagirathi River Basin

Abstract

 Biodiversity documentation in high-altitude Himalayan ecosystems remains limited due to logistical constraints, resulting in significant gaps in the known distribution of several taxa. The Little Owl Athene noctua, represented in the region by the subspecies Athene noctua ludlowi, is poorly studied, with records restricted to scattered localities across the Himalayan arc. We present the first photographic evidence of A. n. ludlowi from Uttarakhand, India, obtained via camera trapping in alpine habitats of the Upper Bhagirathi River Basin, Gangotri National Park, at 3,500 m elevation. This record fills a distributional gap for the species within the western Himalaya and highlights the importance of integrating systematic monitoring with opportunistic observations to refine understanding of poorly documented taxa.

Author Biographies

Anuj Joshi, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India

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Dhanesh Ponnu, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.

.

Vineet K. Dubey, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.

.

Sambandam Sathyakumar, Wildlife Institute of India

.

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Published

26-11-2025 — Updated on 26-11-2025

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Issue

Vol. 17 No. 11 (2025)

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Copyright (c) 2025 Sambandam Sathyakumar, Anuj Joshi, Dhanesh Ponnu, Vineet K Dubey

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