the buffy fish owl ( bubo ketupu ) , also known as the malay fish owl , is a species of owl in the family strigidae .

the four fish owls were previously generally separated in the genus ketupa .

mtdna cytochrome b sequence data is equivocal on which genus name is applied for them , and today they are commonly lumped with the horned and eagle-owls ( bubo ) – which they also resemble osteologically very much – for sake of convenience .

depending on whether some little-studied tropical eagle-owls are closer to the fish-owls than to the typical eagle-owls , ketupa might be a valid genus if these as well as the fishing owls ( formerly scotopelia ) are included in it , although there are a number of osteological differences that suggest that fishing and fish owls are not directly related to each other .

buffy fish owl

buffy fish owl <EOT> [ 16 ] bird life international . ( 2012 ) . ketupa ketupu ( buffy fish - owl , buffy fish owl , buffy fish - owl ) . the iucn red list of threatened species url :

mortality : buffy fish owls have lived for over 30 years in captivity . in regions with fish ponds , the buffy fish owl is sometimes persecuted because of its fish - catching habits .

read in detail about the buffy fish owl in the avis – ibis database .

the buffy fish owl is a medium to fairly large owl with prominent , outward - facing ear - tufts . it is also known as the malay fish owl .

[ 13 ] “buffy fish - owl” by nicole . oiseaux - birds . com . url :

the buffy fish - owl ( bubo ketupu ) is a species of owl found throughout southeast asia and several islands of indonesia .

these buffy fish owl species have low forest dependency . these species occur in altitudes from 0 to 1500 meters .

[ 12 ] “portrait of an owl : buffy fish owl” by melinda tan , yc . bird ecology study group , 11 march 2007 . url :

[ 14 ] “buffy fish owl encounters” by allan teo . bird ecology study group , 31 may 2007 . url :

[ 15 ] “buffy fish owl – the big yawn” by connie khoo . bird ecology study group , 1 august 2006 . url :

habits : the buffy fish owl shelters during the day , often singly , in dark places such as densely foliaged trees near nesting site .

the buffy fish owl ranges from south assam , vietnam , south thailand , peninsular malaysia , singapore to sumatra , borneo , java , and bali .

[ 9 ] lewis , d . ( 2013 , june 19 ) . buffy fish owl - bubo ketupu - information , pictures , sounds . retrieved november 9 , 2014 , from the owl pages

owyong , a . ( 2016 ) first known nesting record of the buffy fish owl . singapore bird group . retrieved aug 3 , 2016 , from urltoken

tawny fish owl ( ketupa flavipes ) ( photo by : jayanth sharma cc by 3 . 0 )

i have a nice photo of the adult the adult buffy fish owl from the botanics . if you would like the photo for your records do let me know .

buffy fish owls can be found in malaysia , thailand and the indonesian islands . they live in forested areas with a nearby water source so that they have access to fish .

post breeding , the buffy fish owl juveniles may disperse and establish in new locations within the range . they may make local movements for feeding and breeding within their range .

the voice of the buffy fish owl is probably the most recognizable of the four ketupa species , being higher pitched and more musical than the other three species . [ 10 ]

royal society searrp . ( n . d . ) . buffy fish owl ( ketupa ketupu ) . stability of altered forest ecology . retrieved aug 4 , 2016 , from urltoken

the buffy fish owl is a one of four species of fish owl . while it ' s a fairly large owl , it ' s the smallest of the fish owls . adults are about 15 - 19 inches ( 38 - 48 cm . ) bubo ketupu is native to the dense tropical forests of southeast asia . as the name implies , a large proportion of the buffy fish owl ' s diet consists of fish , as well as crustaceans , reptiles , frogs , toads and insects . rats , mice and large beetles are also taken . they will sometimes take bats , and reportedly feed on carrion . buffy fish owls fish from a perch an the water ' s edge , or from a tree on a wooded bank , swooping down to snatch prey from the water ' s surface . they will also walk in shallow streams to snatch crabs , frogs , fish and aquatic insects .

brown fish owl ( ketupa zeylonensis ) ( photo by : lip lee yap cc by - sa 2 . 0 )

the artificial ecosystems of these buffy fish owl species include rural gardens , plantations , urban parks , pasturelands , freshwater , brackish water and marine aquaculture ponds , irrigation canals and irrigated lands .

seng , a & loei , j . ( 2015 ) . encounter with a one - eyed buffy fish - owl . bird ecology study group . retrieved aug 3 , 2016 , from urltoken

buffy fish owl , one of the more common names of the ketupa ketupu , is so named because of the buffy colouration of its body in relation to the other fish owls , being a more yellow - beige colour than the other 4 species . it is also sometimes referred to as java / malay / malaysian fish owl , in reference to the localities it is found in , more common in the indonesian island of java and in the malay peninsula .

introduction : the buffy fish - owl feeds exclusively on fish and a variety of aquatic organisms . some morphological features are well - adapted to its feeding behaviour . this species is rarely seen far from water , usually in forested areas and even close to human habitations .

the buffy fish owl species are distributed in india , bangladesh , myanmar , thailand , cambodia , laos , vietnam , malaysia , singapore , brunei and indonesia . aquaculture farmers consider these owl species as pest birds . there are four recognized subspecies of these owls .

behaviour in the wild : the buffy fish - owl feeds exclusively on fish and other aquatic preys such as crustaceans , frogs , toads , and also reptiles and large aquatic insects . it may take carrion sometimes , and also rats , mice and large beetles , and occasionally bats .

the buffy fish - owl rests in trees during the day and becomes active at dusk . it is often alone , hidden in dark places usually among the tree foliage , in the vicinity of the nesting site .

the iucn ( international union for conservation of nature ) has categorized and evaluated the owl species and has listed it as of " least concern " . the cites ( convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora ) status is ‘evaluated’ for the buffy fish owl (

buffy fish owls mostly eat fish . with their talons , they catch fish that are swimming just below the surface . they also sometimes eat other animals that are found near water , including frogs , reptiles , rodents and insects . they are also known to feed on carrion when it is available .

the nesting of the buffy fish - owl ( ketupa ketupu ) at the sungei buloh wetland reserve during march - april 2016 coincided with one of singapore’s hottest period . the chick fledged in the latter part of april .

hunting & food : as the name implies , a large proportion of the buffy fish owl ' s diet consists of fish , as well as crustaceans , reptiles , frogs , toads and insects . rats , mice and large beetles are also taken . they will sometimes take bats , and reportedly feed on carrion . buffy fish owls fish from a perch an the water ' s edge , or from a tree on a wooded bank , swooping down to snatch prey from the water ' s surface . they will also walk in shallow streams to snatch crabs , frogs , fish and aquatic insects .

the diet of these buffy fish owl species is mostly fish . crabs , shrimps , frogs , toads , crayfish , reptiles , birds , small mammals and large insects are their primary food . they are known to prey on snakes , fruit bats and young false gharials . they also feed on carrion .

the typical buffy fish owl clutch has one oval and dull white egg . the chick hatches out after 28 - 29 days of incubation . the chicks fledge after six weeks of growth . both the parents take care of the hatchling .

the buffy fish owl usually lays a single egg in the cup - like hollow formed by the leaves of the big epiphytic bird ' s nest fern ( asplenium nidus ) , in tree holes or abandoned nests of some large raptors .

the buffy fish owl species are distributed in india , bangladesh , myanmar , thailand , cambodia , laos , vietnam , malaysia , singapore , brunei , indonesia . in india , these owl species are distributed in the states of odisha , west bengal , assam , arunachal pradesh , nagaland , tripura and mizoram .

subspecies and range : the buffy fish - owl has two subspecies : k . k . ketupu ( here described and displayed ) occurs in se asia , malay peninsula , riau archipelago , sumatra , java , bali , borneo and bangka .

as you can probably guess from its name , it feeds exclusively on aquatic creatures such as fish . because of their special diet , they aren’t like your typical owl . unlike the snowy owl ( harry potter’s tragically dead pet ) , the buffy fish owl does not fly silently . they don’t need to since their prey ( fish ) are unlikely to be able to hear them anyway . another unique behaviour of the fish owls are that instead of swooping down to catch their prey like we so often see on documentaries , they actually wade into shallow waters to catch their prey [ 6 ] . pretty cool , huh ?

now , back to the buffy fish owl . though you can only see its speckled brown back in the picture above , the smallest of the fish owls can be distinguished by it’s brilliant yellow eyes and adorable ear tufts that are usually tilted at 45 degrees [ 3 ] . since they are largely nocturnal , it can be difficult to spot owls at daytime when they are usually resting silently in trees , an indistinguishable shape on the tree . however , birders have reported an encouraging increase in local sightings of this elusive fish owl in the recent years [ 4 ] . if you haven’t spotted one , there are always pictures . check out this awesome one of the infamous one - eyed buffy fish owl [ 5 ] !

they might be killed due to their predation on fish and aquatic organisms , if they are seen as threats to human livelihood depending on fish stocks , especially if these ketupa ketupu inhabit and hunt in areas near human constructs such as fish ponds .

protection / threats / status : the buffy fish - owl is sometimes affected by local persecution due to its fishing behaviour in areas with fish ponds . this behaviour involves competition with the local fishers . this species is scarce to fairly common throughout the range , and the population appears currently stable . this species is evaluated as least concern .

( 3 ) claws are long and curved with a sharp , lower cutting edge : similarly gives the fish owl a stronger grip on its prey after capture .

feeds mainly on fish , frogs , crustaceans , reptiles ( lizards ) and insects .

fishing grey - headed fish - eagle caught by david awcock at the swan lake .

background information and conservation plan for the western burrowing owl . good bibliography attached .

the buffy fish owl can be found in secondary forests , forest edges , mangrove forests , and rubber plantations . during the day , it usually roosts in a tall tree and emerges at about dusk to hunt . it regularly bathe to keep its feathers in optimum conditions .

the nocturnal fauna of singapore has long held the fascination of many nature - enthusiasts . from the inquisitive stare of the buffy fish owl to the wide - eyed sunda scops owl , nocturnal birds have been seen throughout the island , and garnered the attention of many . several of us have seen owls on pulau ubin before , but how many are there exactly ? and where ?

some authorities place it within the genus ketupa , its original designation . debate still occurs as to whether it is a fishing owl or an eagle owl of the genus bubo .

in buffy fish owl the ear tufts are prominent and hang to the sides of the head , giving a scraggly look . the facial disc does not have well defined margin . the forehead is whitish . the feather lack the comb and hair - like fringes to the primaries and their wing beats make sounds .

40–48 cm ; 1028–2100 g . smallest fish - owl . facial disc pale buff , with white eyebrows ; upperparts buff , streaked with dark brown , feathers edged with pale rufous ; . . .

the buffy fish - owl is the smallest of the four fish - owls . the adult has buff upperparts with dark brown streaks and pale rufous edges to feathers . the scapulars are paler , mostly whitish to pale buff . on the wings , the flight feathers are barred buff and dark brown , with a few whitish bars . the rectrices are dark brown with pale tips and a few buffish - white bars .

buffy fish - owls mainly take fish and crustaceans ; other small game up to the size of rats are sometimes taken when the opportunity arises . the owls hunt from perches alongside streams and other bodies of water , swooping down to snatch prey at the surface . it has also been observed that they eat carrion as well .

habitat : the buffy fish - owl frequents the broadleaved evergreen forests near water , or bordering streams , rivers or lakes . it also occurs in mangroves , plantations , wooded gardens near wetlands . this species is mainly found in lowlands , but it can be seen from 1100 to 1600 metres of elevation in sumatra .

[ 20 ] “buffy at pasir ris” by ria tan . wild shores of singapore , 20 april 2013 . url :

“sometime ago i was sent a youtube link on an owl that is capable of . . .

the buffy fish - owl forages mainly at night , but it often starts in late afternoon . it hunts from perch at water edge . once a prey is detected , it swoops down to catch the prey from the water surface . another technique consists in walking slowly in shallow water to catch crabs , insects and amphibians .

this owl eats large insects , crabs , fish , frogs , small birds , and mammals like rats . after eating it will cast a pellet consisting of the undigestable parts like feathers , bones , etc .

this paper summarizes existing information on the burrowing owl in arizona and provides baseline information for future studies .

habitat management series for unique or endangered species : burrowing owl pdf , 1 . 6mb aug 22 14

the buffy fish owl enjoys an extremely large area of distribution in south - east asian countries ie brunei , cambodia , cocos ( keeling ) islands , india , bangladesh , indonesia , laos , malaysia , myanmar , singapore , thailand and vietnam . it is quite a rarity in india though with just a few records from the sundarbans mangroves .

distribution : buffy fish owls are found in south burma , south and east to trung phan , peninsular thailand and malay peninsula , riau archipelago , sumatra with neighbouring islands on the west side , mangka , belitung , java , bali and borneo .

the breeding season of these buffy owl species in india is from december to may , with a peak period from january to april . the breeding season in malaysia is from july to april with a peak period from september to january .

the next reptile that one of our guides spotted was the buffy fish owl ( ketupa ketupu ) . hang on a minute , that’s a bird not a reptile ! well , a cool science fact to blow your friend’s mind : birds are actually classified under reptiles . part 2 of rad reptiles will be explaining why so keep your eyes peeled for it !

on 18th march 2012 , we were on a boat riding into the salty waters of sundarbans . the breeze was just warming us up for the long day ahead , when mridul kanti kar , a young fellow birder with an amazing ability to spot birds , shouted out ‘owl ! owl ! ’ . we were near the famous sajnekhali watch tower . we were clicking pictures furiously , not realizing the rarity we were looking at . though initially mistaken for the common brown fish owl , something about it denied that fact . only after blowing up the photos up on my screen later did i notice the white forehead and absence of horizontal cross - bars on its underparts , and realized it resembled the buffy fish owl . and it did turn out to be a rarity , and the photo of this buffy , is the second photo - record from sundarbans , rather india , the first one being by mr . nikhil bhopale in jan 2010 .

fine art illustration of a buffy fish owl . the print is hand - signed by the artist and is guaranteed to arrive in perfect condition . the reproduction of this original pen and ink drawing is done on high quality acid - free archival paper . call 1 800 - 913 - 7906 for more information or to order by phone . click here for shipping info .

consisting 4 species in total , based on their distribution and their specialised adaptations to hunting of fish and other aquatic organisms .

in total , 16 individual birds were seen or heard . the most numerous were the large - tailed nightjar and sunda scops owl , of which 6 individuals of each species were encountered throughout the survey . the buffy fish owl and black - crowned night heron were encountered once each , while the savanna nightjar was encountered twice . to our delight , greater mousedeer were seen by all three groups and one group even saw a herd of wild boar with 3 adults and 13 piglets !

) is a fairly large owl , measuring 35 to 50 cm in length and weighing 1000 to 2100 grams .

jeffrey l . lincer and peter h . bloom proceedings of the california burrowing owl symposium , 90 - 102 2007

the original drawing of a buffy fish owl was completed on 3 . 2 . 2015 . some months ago i had put together a collage of the owls of north america . and i realized that i wanted to broaden that to a collage of owls of the world . so i started researching some of the more notable species of owl native to the other continents . i plan to do another few species within the next few weeks . the drawing is based on a photo by eddy lee and was used with his permission . .

buffy fish owls do not build their own nests , but rather use the abandoned nests of other birds or a tree cavity . the female lays one egg , which hatches approximately one month later . when the owlet is about 45 days old , its flight feathers begin to grow in .

the overall plumage of these owls is buffy ( yellow - brown ) . there is considerable variegating with pale buffy color . the feathers are edged pale brown . the wings and tail are broadly barred pale and dark brown . the underparts are yellow - brown or tawny . there are dark vertical striations .

these buffy owl species do not build nests . they nest on top of bird ' s - nest fern , in tree fork covered with ferns and moss , on orchid beds , in tree holes , on rocky sites and even in abandoned nests of other species of birds .

sometime in march 2016 , a pair of buffy fish - owls ( ketupa ketupu ) ( above ) nested in a bird’s nest fern ( asplenium nidus ) at the sungei buloh wetland reserve . harry geno - oehlers started documenting the nesting and the images below show the development of the chick inside the nest .

buffy fish - owls are found in densely - forested areas of southeast asia , mainly with access to streams and rivers ; coastal mangrove areas are also inhabited . their range includes far - eastern india , bangladesh , burma , malaysia , cambodia , laos , vietnam , thailand , and the larger islands of indonesia .

i had my camera ( thankfully ! ) with me , and managed to squeeze off a few shots before night fell . we also were able to take a few recordings of the owls vocalising and will eventually upload onto xeno - canto . this brief encounter with these buffy fish owls while unexpected was most exhilarating !

food habits of a population of the burrowing owl ( athene cunicularia ) at the idaho national engineering laboratory , butte county , were studied .

burrowing owl habitat management plan - evaluation of impacts to burrowing owls for the nasa ames development plan pdf , 3 . 7mb jun 28 12

) does not approach the thresholds for being vulnerable , either under the range size criterion , or under the population trend criterion or under the population size criterion . the habitat destruction , persecution from aquaculture farmers and trapping for pet trade are the main threats that may endanger the survival of these buffy owl species .

interesting resident records include a lesser whistling duck , dendrocygna javanica at the japanese gardens , reported by laurence eu , buffy fish owls , ketupa ketupu , one at the singapore botanic gardens on 8 th ( richard white ) and another at bidadari on 15 th ( er bong siong ) . all are new for the location .

the fish owls of ketupa bears close physical similarity to the genus bubo ( eagle owls ) in terms of having similar prominent ear tufts , colour , size and and heavy build . however , they differ from bubo in three main aspects in relation to their specialization of their diet on fish ( adaptations for hunting )

in early march this year , staff of sbwr noticed a fur ball through a gap in a bird nest fern on a rain tree . it turned out to be an owl chick . it was the same with the buffy fish owls i seen in perak , malaysia . they were also using bird nest ferns as nests , which makes it hard to spot looking from below . unlike other nesting birds , the parents do not feed them during the day and avoid undue attention .

it is the most common large owl in open country habitats and rural settlements . found in mangroves , freshwater swamps , plantations and wooded gardens .

owl home ranges varied in size within ( but not between ) years , and not in conjunction with any of the biological factors we measured .

a moderately - large owl , buffy fish - owls are brown throughout ; dark brown above , lighter rufus - brown below . primaries and secondaries are banded with white , with some spotting on the leading edge of the wings . dark shaft - streaking is present on the chest , but less - so on the belly . the ear tufts are large , and splayed outward to the side . in keeping with its fishing habits , the yellow - gray tarsi and feet are unfeathered .

in the 1980s and 90s , the buffy fish owls , ketupa ketupa , were found at only a few locations in singapore , like pulau ubin , sungei buloh and central catchment forest . our only record that indicate breeding was the sighting of two immatures at the lower peirce reservoir in 1994 & 2010 and macritchie reservoir in october 2011 . . in recent years , they have spread out to sentosa , pasir ris park , punggol and the singapore botanic gardens . it augurs well for this owl .

mostly fish ; also frogs , crustaceans , reptiles , large aquatic insects , small mammals ( rats , mice ) and birds ; once a tortoise ; also carrion . . .

( 2 ) underside of toes covered in numerous sharp edged and spiky scales : enables them to have a good grip on the slippery and wet fish and other aquatic prey .

the natural ecosystems of these owl species include tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests , permanent freshwater lakes , seasonal lakes and waterbodies , rivers , streams and creeks .

we monitored burrowing owl ( athene cunicularia ) populations and prairie dog densities in 17 black - tailed prairie dog colonies in the nebraska panhandle between 1990 and 1996 .

burrowing owl ( athene cunicularia ) populations in san diego county appear to have decreased through the early 1900s in conjunction with human population growth and concomitant habitat loss .

the resident grey - headed fish - eagles , ichthyophaga ichthyaetus , were keeping the photographers busy with their daily fishing antics at the singapore botanic garden’s swan lake . they were first videoed by jeremiah loei on 10th . a pair of buffy fish owls ketupa ketupu , were roosting at the rain forest section of the gardens ( zacc hd 13th ) . they were first spotted at the gardens by richard white last month on 8th may . we think that they may have been flushed out from the tyersall side due to the construction of the new extension to the gardens .

a case of leucism in the burrowing owl athene cunicularia ( aves : strigiformes ) with confirmation of species identity using cytogenic analysis pdf , 2 . 7mb aug 22 14

the low temporal variability of the dominant prey species provided evidence that simple prey relationship models were not likely to ex - plain the highly synchronous and temporally dynamic patterns of spotted owl reproductive performance . reproductive success was likely a result of the interaction of both weather and prey and the life history strategy of this long - lived owl .

we quantified the use of black - tailed prairie dog ( cynomys ludovicianus ) colonies as habitat for the burrowing owl ( athene cunicularia ) in southwestern kansas and southeastern colorado .

rests in a tree during the day until dusk when it leaves in search of food . they feed on fish , frogs and crustaceans near streams , as well as bats and small birds .

we predicted that owl - occupied prairie dog towns would be in less fragmented landscapes that contain more prairie then owl - unoccupied prairie dog towns . to test this prediction , we used a geographic information system and spatial analysis metrics to examine the landscape within 1000 and 2500 m radius circles surrounding prairie dog towns in the shortgrass prairie in northeastern colorado .

modelling effects of chemical exposure on birds wintering in agricultural landscapes : the western burrowing owl ( athene cunicularia hypugaea ) as a case study pdf , 1 . 7mb jul 22 14

reproduction of this species : the breeding season varies according to the range . the laying occurs mainly between february and april , but in w java , the eggs are led from may to july , and in april and september to january in malay peninsula . the buffy fish - owl nests in large hollow in tree , in tree - fork or among the bird ' s nest ferns ( asplenium nidus ) between 3 and 18 metres above the ground . it may use an abandoned raptor’s nest too , and uses occasionally a cave in rocky area . they do not build their own nest .

the soft fringes found long the rear edge of the wing feathers in other owl species , that enables silent flight in owls during hunting are also lost in the fish owls . presumably , this could be due to their prey being not so able to pick up airborne sounds , hence little need to conceal its presence as it swoops in to capture its prey . [ 10 ]

calls and songs : sounds by xeno - canto the buffy fish - owl gives loud , rattling “kutook , kutook , kutook , kutook , kuttok…” and these sounds might be the song of the male . other sounds can be heard such as a musical “to - whee to - whee” , a long , monotonous “bup - bup - bup - bup - bup…” , also high “hie - ee - eek - keek” notes , hisses , mews and shrieks . the female’s voice is slightly high - pitched than that of the male . they become noisy before breeding , and the pairs often duet during several minutes .

we document a female burrowing owl ( athene cunicularia ) that nested in arizona and dispersed 1 , 860 km to saskatchewan , where she successfully raised seven young during the same breeding season .

most previous research has focused on burrowing owl breeding biology , and little is known about its winter ecology . we determined characteristics of roost sites used by western burrowing owls in southern texas during winter .

( 1 ) lack of feathers on tarsi : feathered legs would have been drenched and waterlogged with frequent plunging into the water for prey capture , thus the lack of feathers would optimize the capture of prey in fish owls .

the name ketupu as in its latin bionomial name , could have been derived from its old javanese name , kutupu - kutupuk , which was also based on the owl ' s calls . [ 1 ]

[ 23 ] shepherd , c . r . ( 2012 ) . the owl trade in jakarta , indonesia : a spot check on the largest bird markets . birding asia ( 58 - 59 ) ’

monitoring at obo sites has indicated the saskatchewan burrowing owl population has declined 92 % from 1988–2009 ( obo database ) . habitat is improved by enlarging pastures to increase grassland patch size and reduce habitat fragmentation .

holt , d . w . , berkley , r . , deppe , c . , enríquez rocha , p . , petersen , j . l . , rangel salazar , j . l . , segars , k . p . , wood , k . l . & marks , j . s . ( 2018 ) . buffy fish - owl ( ketupa ketupu ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .

there is probably a much wider diversity and greater number of nocturnal birds on ubin , based on historical sightings as well as the fact that there are many parts of ubin our routes did not cover . for example , all species of owl known in singapore are recorded on ubin except for the short - eared owl . we hope to continue to conduct more nocturnal census and hopefully uncover more nocturnal birds on ubin .

fish - owls , or fishing owls , are generally considered to be in two genera ketupu and scotopelia . the genus ketupa only consist of 4 species distributed over most of asia , in contrast to the scotopelia consisting of 3 species found in africa . [ 10 ] scotopelia ( african fish owls ) are also large and powerful . however , scotopelia lack ear tufts , loose feathering on their heads which gives them a characteristic shaggy , maned look . [ 10 ]

pei shuan and i had just left the office and were making our way to the evolution garden when two large - sized birds abruptly landed in the tree above us while calling . we thought it might be the red jungle fowls , but turning the corner , the birds revealed themselves to be buffy fish owls . both continued to vocalise , one more so frequently than the other , uttering a relatively soft “yiiii” ( like a squeaky chair , for lack of a better description ) each time . the other owl answered sporadically with a louder and harsher “yiooorhhh” . i am guessing that the former is a subadult ; the plumage differences seem rather minute , however . both kept close to each other .

a burrowing owl ( athene cuniciilaria ) population nesting on the idaho national engineering laboratory ( inel ) in southeastern idaho utilized burrows excavated by badgers ( taxidea taxiis ) or natural cavities in lava flows as nesting sites .

david s . klute , loren w . ayers , michael t . green william h . howe stephanie l . jones jill a . shaffer steven r . sheffield6 , tara s . zimmerman us fish & wildlife service , biological technical publication 2003

the northern pygmy mouse ( baiomys taylori ) , fulvous harvest mouse ( reithrodontomys fulvescens ) , and merriam’s pocket mouse ( perognathus merriami ) are new to the diet of the western burrowing owl ( athene cunicularia hypugaea ) .

determining differences in the owl’s ecology between rural and urban / suburban areas can aid in creating effective statewide management strategies for this species . we compared the available prey and diet of burrowing owls in a rural and urban environment .

the large dispersal distances we observed within the breeding season were greater than previously published estimates of between - year breeding dispersal based on mark - recapture methods and provide insight into the lack of genetic differentiation observed among burrowing owl populations .

i estimated survival rates of a florida burrowing owl ( athene cunicularia floridana ) population on a 35 . 9 - km study area in lee county , florida , 1987 - 91 to determine if there was a relationship between annual survival and development density

our results suggest that the burrowing owl were mainly nocturnal hunters and evidenced a generalist diet , consuming a wide spectrum of prey items , including invertebrates ( insects and chelicerates ) , and several types of vertebrates ( mammals , birds and lizards ) .

with the number of serious birders and photographers going up in india , newer records like this owl are being added regularly . birders and photographers now act as citizen scientists constantly adding to the scientific knowledge of birds , their behavior and their distributional range .

owl species , that enables silent flight in owls during hunting . presumably , this could be due to their prey being not so able to pick up airborne sounds , hence little need to conceal its presence as it swoops in to capture its prey .

these owl species hunt from the bank of streams , lakes and aquaculture ponds , swooping down on the prey near the water surface . they do not get their feathers wet . they also wade in shallow waters in streams , brooks and ponds to hunt .

to determine the breeding dispersal patterns underlying this distributional change , we developed 11 novel polymorphic microsatellite loci for the species . we tested these loci in two burrowing owl breeding populations , one from central sinaloa , mexico , and one from the central valley of california , usa .

the only threat is man , and it has been persecuted in some areas under the belief that it competes for fish . according to iucn , the birds have a stable population ; its large range and habit of seeking dense forest in which to roost are factors which list the species as least concern . [ 2 ]

) has not been quantified . the overall population trend of these owl species is considered to be stable . throughout its range it is reported to be uncommon to common . the generation length is 5 . 7 years . their distribution size is about 7 , 450 , 000 sq . km .

to design and implement effective recovery efforts , we need a better understanding of how distribution and demographic traits are influenced by habitat quality . to this end , we measured spatial patterns of burrowing owl breeding habitat selection within black - tailed prairie dog ( cynomys ludovicianus ) colonies in northeastern wyoming , usa .

i used closed - population capture - recapture models to evaluate 4 factors that could affect the probability of a surveyor detecting an owl activity center ( i . e . , nest burrow ) during visual surveys where owls are the focal object and analyzed the relationship ( linear or curvilinear ) between specific factors and detection probability .

breeding : eggs are found mainly in february to april , but less commonly in may to july ( west java ) or in april and september to january ( malay peninsula ) . often nests on tip of bird ' s - nest ferns , or in the fork of a thick bough covered by ferns , moss and orchids . buffy fish owls will also nest in tree hollows or other raptors nests , and sometimes may resort to caves in rocky sites . usually one , but sometimes two eggs are laid , which are broadly oval and dull white , averaging 47 . 3 - 49 x 42 . 5 - 43 . 3 mm . incubation of the eggs lasts 28 - 29 days . generally only one chick survives and will fledge after six weeks .

we designed a field experiment to compare burrowing owl flight distances , times displaced , and probabilities of being displaced between 4 potential population survey methods ( single walking surveyor , single vehicle stop , single vehicle stop with 2 surveyors , and double vehicle stop with 2 surveyors ) , and an experimental control in the agricultural matrix of imperial valley , california .

all turbines in the apwra could be shut down and blades locked during winter , when 35 % of the burrowing owls were killed but only 14 % of the annual electricity was generated . terminating rodent control and installing flight diverters at the ends of turbine rows might also reduce burrowing owl mortality , as might replacing turbines with new - generation turbines mounted on taller towers .

owls are nocturnal predators , active during the night and roosting in the day , in contrast to the diurnal birds of prey . fish owls emerge from their roosts in late afternoon on occasion , and thus they are sometimes regarded as semi - diurnal . however , they rarely hunt during those occasions , rather , they would only hunt after dusk , as with all other species that are considered thoroughly nocturnal . [ 10 ] frequently seen flying low at dusk . [ 11 ]

they often descend to the ground , and perch at the water’s edge or from a tree on a wooded bank . they would watch and wait for their prey to swim within striking distance , then swoop in and snatch their prey from the water’s surface with their claws , unlike the bodily plunging into the water body as in the manner of an osprey . they might also wade in shallow streams , often incidentally during bathing , occasionally they would snatch crabs , frogs , fish , aquatic insects from the water . [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]

adult plumage is mottled brown and white and birds have lemon yellow eyes . adults stand approximately 7 . 5 - 10 inches ( 19 - 25 cm ) tall and weigh approximately 5 ounces ( 150 grams ) . they have long , nearly unfeathered legs . burrowing owls are strong flyers , but also are well adapted life on the ground . adults are not dimorphic , but in the summer males can be distinguished from females based on behavior and lighter plumage color . since males typically spend significant time in the sun , while female spend more time underground , males are often paler than females . the buffy breasts of young in juvenile plumage are one way to distinguish them from adults .

the asian fish - owls of the genus ketupa comprises of three species , all occurring within indian limits . they are large and powerful birds , with the tarsus partly or wholly naked and granular , much like that of the osprey , and the soles of the feet covered with prickly scales . the claws are large , well curved , each with a sharp cutting - edge beneath , and the middle claw with a sharp keel on the inside also . aigrettes are present , long and pointed . the bill is large and strong . the facial disk is ill - marked , especially above . the wings are rounded , and do not reach the end of the tail , 4th quill generally the longest , 3rd and 5th subequal ; tail moderate .

while this was happening , ruici who was at botany centre observing the brown - chested jungle flycatcher immediately rushed over and joined me about 5 minutes after pei shuan left . at this time , the owls had become more active , flying across the path to another tree and calling more frequently . the pair thereafter flew across the carpark , to the trees directly in front of the hq , where we observed was a third owl . soon after , two of the owls flew across the carpark one after the other back to the evolution garden . one of them was carrying a small branch / large twig from the araucaria tree it had been perching in . the two owls in the evolution garden started to vocalise , seemingly coaxing the third individual ( subadult ? ) to join them .

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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .

christidis , l . and boles , w . e . 2008 . systematics and taxonomy of australian birds . csiro publishing , collingwood , australia .

justification : this species has an extremely large range , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the range size criterion ( extent of occurrence < 20 , 000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . the population trend appears to be stable , and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size has not been quantified , but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .

the global population size has not been quantified , but the species is reported to be uncommon to common ( del hoyo et al . 1999 ) . trend justification : the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats .

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description : upperparts are rich brown , while the feathers of the back and mantle are blackish - brown , broadly margined with buff and with pale rufous or whitish spots near the tips . the head and neck are the same as the upperparts but the feather tips don ' t have the spots . the forehead and eyebrows are white , and the distinctive ear - tufts are sideward directed and very tousled . eyes are yellow , with the eyelids rimmed black . the bill is black or greyish - black . outer webs of scapulars are fulvous , but not forming a pale row across the shoulder . wing coverts are the same as the back , but with much larger pale spots . primaries and secondaries are dark brown , banded with whitish or fulvous . the tail feathers are dark brown with whitish tips and 3 or 4 buffish - white bars . underparts are rufous - buff or fulvous with narrow dark brown shaft - streaks , these becoming narrower and sparser on the belly and undertail - coverts . flanks and thighs are unstreaked . tarsi are relatively long and bare and are coloured yellowish - grey along with the toes . claws are dark horn .

size : length 40 - 48cm . wing length 295 - 390mm . tail length 160 - 181mm . weight 1028 - 2100g . females are larger than males .

voice : a rattling kutook , kutook , kutook , kutook , kutook , kutook . . . is thought to be the song of the male . they are particularly noisy before breeding , and pairs participate in duetting which may continue for many minutes . the female has a slightly higher voice . other vocalisations include a musical to - whee to - whee , a ringing pof - pof - pof . . . high hie - ee - ee - eek - keek notes and hissing sounds as well as .

habitat : common in forested areas near water , often close to human habitations . also found in mangrove forest and other coastal areas with woods and bushes . found from sea level to 1600m .

original description : horsfield , thomas 1821 . transactions of the linnean society of london ( trans . linn . soc . london ) ( 1 ) 13 : p . 141 .

boyer and hume . 1991 . " owls of the world " . booksales inc .

del hoyo , elliott & sargatal . 1999 . " handbook of the birds of the world : barn owls to hummingbirds " . buteo books .

könig , claus & weick , friedhelm . 2008 . " owls : a guide to the owls of the world ( second edition ) " . yale university press .

mikkola , heimo . 2013 . " owls of the world : a photographic guide ( second edition ) " . bloomsbury .

voous , karel h . . 1988 . " owls of the northern hemisphere " . the mit press .

sonogram images © xeno - canto foundation . sonogram images share the same license terms as the recording they depict .

probably closest to k . flavipes , the two replacing each other geographically . see also k . zeylonensis . when species placed in genus bubo , subspecies name minor becomes unavailable , and replacement name buettikoferi then used . race aagaardi intergrades with nominate ketupu , and pageli is possibly only a colour variant ; both are sometimes included within nominate . four subspecies recognized .

( horsfield , 1821 ) – malay peninsula , riau archipelago , sumatra , bangka , belitung , java , bali , and borneo ( except nw ) .

loud “kootookookootook . . . ” , ringing “pof pof pof” , and musical “to - . . .

forest bordering streams , rivers , and lakes ; also disturbed forest , trees beside rice fields and . . .

lays dec–may , mainly jan–apr ; jul–apr in malay peninsula . nest in cavity of large tree , or in tree fork , or in old raptor . . .

resident . vagrant found on cocos ( keeling ) is , indian ocean , some 1050 km outside normal range .

not globally threatened ( least concern ) . cites ii . status poorly known ; uncommon in thailand ; locally uncommon to more or less common in malay peninsula and se asia ; common . . .

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sometimes subsumed within bubo , or treated as a subgenus ; separated on basis of slight differences in skull morphology . molecular evidence suggests that ketupa forms a robust clade within bubo and therefore merits subgeneric ranking # r .

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this map displays aggregated data from ibc and my birding ( anonymously ) ; markers do not indicate precise localities .

hbw alive contains information on descriptive notes , voice , habitat , food and feeding , breeding , movements , status and conservation plus a list of bibliographical references for this species account .

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mkennewell , pieter de groot boersma , josep del hoyo , john gregory , keith blomerley , greg baker , barry attridge , rob hutchinson , paul clarke .

virgosg , kaustav banerjee , veronika patrovska vernerova , jainymaria , josep del hoyo , alex berryman , biplab kr . mukhopadhyay , michael schmitz , elias neideck , jacqueserard , william ip , bird . soong , p . supat , lee harding , shoummo71 , ken havard , dave irving , james eaton , henrik bringsøe , rusli .

a month later , a fully fledged chick looking inquisitive . 25 april 2016 . photo : terence tan .

despite the attention of visitors to the wetland reserve , the parent birds don’t seem to feel threatened during the nesting . they just perched in the mid canopy nearby , keeping a watchful eye on the young . the chick was mostly exposed to the elements during the day staying awake most of the time .

on the 25th april , about seven weeks after being discovered , the chick was seen out of its nest , perched in the open on a branch of a nearby tree . it must have made the short flight across from the nest . it stayed at the same position for most of the day without trying to go near the parent birds perched below .


worth ( 1909 – 1912 ) was an american thoroughbred race horse .

he was the winner of the 1912 kentucky derby , as well as the chesapeake stakes and latonia handicap .

he was the top racehorse , based on earnings , in 1911 and became a u.s. champion in 1912 .

on november 6 , 1912 , worth was severely injured during a race run at the pimlico race course in baltimore , maryland .

worth 's jockey , mactaggart , rode too closely to another horse , causing a three horse collision that severely injured two other jockeys and severed two tendons in worth 's leg .

worth was euthanized shortly after this incident due to his extensive injuries .

worth ( horse )

worth ( horse ) <EOT> all the latest horse racing form , betting odds , news , breeding , jockey and trainer information for fort worth . fort worth is a filly born in 2010 october 25 by zizou out of desert yarn

all the latest horse racing form , betting odds , news , breeding , jockey and trainer information for net worth . net worth is a gelding born in 2008 october 31 by fastnet rock out of a real dool

all the latest horse racing form , betting odds , news , breeding , jockey and trainer information for true worth . true worth is a mare born in 2013 september 22 by makfi out of apollo ' s pride

all the latest horse racing form , betting odds , news , breeding , jockey and trainer information for what ' s ken worth . what ' s ken worth is a gelding born in 2011 october 11 by krupt out of galantine

the current race record for what ' s ken worth is 0 wins from 16 starts .

the current race record for true worth is 1 wins from 10 starts with prizemoney of $ 25 , 705 . 00 .

mark bellissimo with his horse raphael de brun , at his far niente stables in wellington , fla . , march 2017 • photo by josh ritchie

bellissimo recognized other opportunities to promote horse sports . in 2013 , he acquired the chronicle of the horse , a weekly industry magazine , and last year he bought the international polo club in wellington for $ 72 million . bellissimo expects to improve that facility as well as work with the uspa to give the sport a wider reach . “we saw what mark’s done with the horse show with jumpers and dressage , and selfishly we want to be part of what he does , ” says uspa’s duncan huyler .

bellissimo himself is not an avid rider . once in a blue moon , according to katherine , he will go trail riding on his aptly named quarter horse , easy . but what bellissimo lacks in riding ability , he makes up with a deep curiosity about the sport and a passion for transforming it . “he gets the connection with the horse , ” katherine says .

you’ve probably never heard of mark bellissimo , a low - key entrepreneur from natick , mass . but bellissimo’s new project , a massive north carolina equestrian center , is about to overthrow the upper crust world of horse sports .

bellissimo is fond of rattling off statistics to prove the popularity of horse sports : that 27 million people apparently ride a horse every year , for example , far more than the 23 million who play tennis , the 25 million golfers or the measly 8 million skiers . or that according to alexa rankings , a metric for measuring internet traffic , there are more websites worldwide devoted to equestrian sports than almost any other sport . ( golf beats horses by a dozen . )

three years ago there were hills here and a small mountain . bellissimo is changing that . he’s rushing to finish an equestrian complex that features 12 competition rings , trails and bridle paths , shops and restaurants , more than 1 , 100 horse stalls and a log cabin village . tryon international equestrian center , a name bellissimo gave the project in reference to a horse club in the area in the 1920s , will also offer three hotels , private homes and a championship golf course . he doesn’t have much time to finish . in september 2018 , an estimated 500 , 000 people will converge upon tryon over the course of two weeks for the international equestrian federation ( fei ) world equestrian games , also known as the weg , the horse sports’ equivalent of the olympics .

bellissimo’s numbers may not be definitive , but it’s true that equestrian sports are seeing signs of growth . horse show entries nationally—a good gauge of elite participation—have climbed by 20 percent over the last two years , for example . last year’s kentucky derby posted the second - highest attendance in its history , while the breeders’ cup last november had its largest audience ever . but equestrian sports encompass everything from eventing to polo to horse racing , and multiple governing bodies regulate these activities independently , resulting in a disparate group of sports . the result : it’s hard to grow equestrian activities as a whole . for example , duncan huyler , ceo of the u . s . polo association ( uspa ) , says his sport is “outside of all equestrian disciplines” and as a result struggles from lack of exposure . bellissimo plans to change that . “we’re creating a business and industry centered around passion for the horse . ”

start bad and slow . won driving ; second and third same . worth was hustled into the lead and , maintaining an easy advantage under restraint , appeared to be an easy winner to the stretch turn , but tired and had to be hand ridden near the end to shake off duval . the latter was going gamest at the end . flamma acted badly at the post and was away poorly , but closed a big gap into a good third . free lance tired in the stretch . wheelwright and sonada ran disappointingly . scratched - the manager , patruche .

wellington , a 30 - minute drive west of palm beach , has long been centered around horses , attracting ultra high net worth seasonal visitors and residents such as bill gates , laurene powell jobs and athina onassis . it’s not uncommon to see riders atop their horses on the side of the road , where a network of bridle paths connects neighborhoods to the palm beach international equestrian center . the venue anchors the community , with the most expensive real estate being closest to it , and is the site of the winter equestrian festival . by the time the family chose to leave the northeast to shift gears , the girls were serious enough about the sport that wellington made sense .

most equestrian centers around the world serve specific disciplines . a show jumping arena , designed to accommodate an obstacle course for horse and rider , may not suit a dressage competition , in which horse and rider demonstrate training , skill and rhythm , and neither of these could ever share space with a polo tournament , which requires a 10 - acre grass field . but in a remote north carolina location , an entrepreneur named mark bellissimo is building something different—and unique . to get there from charlotte , home of the nearest major airport , you have to take u . s . route 74 out of town and into the foothills of the blue ridge mountains . in polk county , the greenery begins to undulate and the mountains rise in the distance—and then a massive compound off the highway interrupts the dreamlike scenery .

bellissimo had first visited mill spring , tryon’s location , with his friend roger smith , an atlanta investment banker with j . p . morgan who had resettled on a farm nearby . smith wanted to help the local community by developing horse sports in the area , which had been devastated by the closing of textile mills during the great recession . “i tried to do it without mark’s input and wasn’t successful , ” he admits .

nevertheless , the festival was by most measures successful . in 2005 , for instance , it had brought a reported $ 57 million of economic activity into the area . yet it remained restricted to wealthy equestrians and did little to engage the local community or attract sponsorship dollars . “wellington was sort of like a british colony in the middle of africa , ” remembers kimberly van kampen boyer , a michigan–based horse breeder and dressage rider who has been a fixture in wellington for 17 years . “the same people came , competed against each other and left . ”

bellissimo is translating that enthusiasm into dollars . “if we create an extreme version showing the speed and toughness of the horse , ” he says , “i can chase brands like monster energy [ an energy drink ] that wouldn’t typically participate and are looking for programming . ” he secured his first $ 500 , 000 in sponsorship for gladiator polo in just 10 days , letting him award $ 250 , 000 in prize money over seven weeks , an unheard - of purse for polo . bellissimo also landed a broadcast deal with nbc sports . and he’s already planning a world tour of the sport , with people like odia lining up to sponsor .

in a way , the weg , which brings eight horse - riding disciplines into one main event , represents what bellissimo hopes to accomplish in tryon . but because of the distances required by some sports , such as combined driving or endurance riding , host cities often have venues that are far apart . at the last weg , held in normandy , france , in 2014 , some competitions were as far as a 45 minutes’ drive from each other , making participation and viewing difficult . at tryon’s 1 , 400 acres , nothing is more than 15 minutes away from anything else . though tryon remains a bit of a mystery to most international competitors , “folks expect something pretty significant from mark thanks to wellington , ” says sharon decker , the chief operating officer at tryon .

bellissimo had not counted on snagging the weg , an event that had already been awarded to the city of bromont in quebec . but when financing fell through for the canadians last july , he made a last - minute bid with the endorsement of the u . s . equestrian federation —the umbrella organization that governs most horse sports nationally—and won . the coup , however , raised eyebrows . “people questioned if we could do that” because of the newness of tryon , bellissimo admits . the main showgrounds were built at warp speed and at a cost of more than $ 150 million . “if you try to do this very slowly , it wouldn’t work . but we did it practically overnight , so it is intriguing for a lot of people . ” bellissimo expects to invest $ 450 million overall .

tryon is not bellissimo’s first rodeo . for the past decade , the cherub - faced 55 - year - old has been working toward building up the equestrian industry in the pastoral village of wellington , fla . , where he has transformed a sleepy , five - week horse show , the winter equestrian festival , into a 12 - week , $ 200 million economic engine by uniting most disciplines under one umbrella and increasing accessibility to the sports . bellissimo has also developed an equine - centered industry that includes luxury real estate—the barns for some prized steeds , in their own gated communities , sell for up to $ 20 million—an equestrian academy and multiple show venues . he even created variants of some disciplines to generate a new audience— gladiator polo , for example . “even if we didn’t have real estate to sell , we’ve built a nine - figure revenue model in a place where it didn’t exist , ” he says .

in 2006 , bellissimo and several partners , including van kampen boyer , purchased the showgrounds and 200 acres surrounding it for about $ 135 million . he then secured a deal to run the winter equestrian festival , giving him control over the wellington equestrian experience . “once i bought the showgrounds and the raw land around it , it created hyper - growth of value here , ” bellissimo says , because he clearly intended to invest further . “equestrianism was self - isolating because it appeared elite and unattainable , ” he says . “we had to bring it to a broader audience . ” bellissimo built grandstand seating , lengthened the winter equestrian season and changed the way they organized the horse show . he made general admission free , and installed jumbotrons around the arena to help spectators follow the competitions . his riders received bigger purses , hospitality venues provided food and drink , and street performers created a carnival atmosphere to engage visitors .

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“the difference in equestrianism versus golf or tennis or football is that there’s only one permutation of those sports , ” bellissimo tells me . dressed in white jeans and a rumpled blue button - down shirt—a simple uniform from which he seldom deviates—he sits down on a late - winter afternoon for a greek salad with grilled chicken in roger’s diner , a ’50s - themed jukebox joint at tryon . he speaks in a soft - voiced rat - a - tat - tat that reveals a mind eager to share the fruits of exhaustive analysis . “there’s a big equestrian population , ” he says , “but no one thinks of it in a centralized fashion . it’s the ultimate in fragmented industries . ”

bellissimo had never really been interested in horses before arriving in wellington with his family in 2004 . “mark is an opportunity guy . he may not have a plan , but he’s very good at recognizing opportunity , ” says his wife of 29 years , katherine bellissimo , whom he has known since high school .

as a teenager in natick , mass . , a middle - class suburb of boston , bellissimo , one of six children , played hockey . his skill caught the eye of ted harrison , the athletics director at phillips academy andover , the tony massachusetts prep school . with harrison’s help , bellissimo enrolled at andover . though bellissimo’s father owned a small food - service business , belco , that evolved from running food trucks to providing corporate catering and cafeteria services—and would do well enough to move to the affluent town of weston—bellissimo was always aware of the financial expectations that an andover education created . “that was a victory for my father , making sure he had provided the best education . his big line was , ‘put a brain in your head , and no one can ever take that away from you , ’” bellissimo says .

he went on to major in political science with a concentration in economics at middlebury college in vermont . during a 1983 summer internship at the overseas private investment corporation in washington , d . c . , bellissimo stumbled across his first entrepreneurial opportunity , a meeting with a japanese manufacturer of inexpensive back - up alarms for trucks at a time when the devices were beginning to be mandated in u . s . cities . so bellissimo convinced the company to make him its u . s . distributor , generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue . “in relative scale it was small , but it was an amazing learning experience , ” he recalls . “it allowed me to buy early computers and learn about technology and programming . ”

after graduating in 1985 , bellissimo moved to new york to work at credit suisse in its entry - level training program , but his time there was cut short when the family business fell into financial difficulty . he and his brother bill , then an assistant treasurer at chase manhattan bank , moved back to the boston area to restructure the company as it filed for chapter 11 . during that time , he also received his master’s at harvard business school , got married and went to work at l . e . k . consulting , a corporate - turnaround firm . that experience led to an executive role in 1992 as vp of operations at vitas healthcare , a miami - based provider of hospice services , where among other things he developed the company’s technical infrastructure . the hands - on experience allowed him to build and license technology that ultimately proved lucrative . “that was my first seven - figure payday , ” he says .

bellissimo used that knowledge to form a medical technology company called caretools , which he later sold . other real estate and private equity investments following the dot - com crash led to his purchase of brandwise , a defunct comparison - shopping service that he rebuilt as a crm and sales - force automation business . when that company merged with a colorado–based firm in 2004 , resulting in another payday , bellissimo decided to take a break . “i wanted time to think about what i should do next , ” he says .

a competitor during the 2015 winter equestrian festival at the palm beach international equestrian center in wellington , fla . • photo by josh ritchie

in the late ’90s , bellissimo’s then teenage daughters , paige and nicole , took up horseback riding near their summer home on lake winnipesaukee in new hampshire . “my wife took our daughters to a local barn that had a camp , and they loved it , ” bellissimo recalls . “katherine then started taking lessons with them , and all hell broke loose . ” one consequence : winter trips to wellington’s equestrian festival .

but as the family delved more into equestrianism , bellissimo began to examine its flaws . “the rental rates for stalls were ridiculously expensive . if i’m going to pay that much i want to own the property , ” he says . the shows , held on a grassy field with no spectator seating , were equally unappealing . “if it was raining you were ankle - deep in mud , and there were porta - potties everywhere . it was a terrible experience , and you spent a lot of money to do it . ”

today , the winter equestrian festival draws as many as 200 , 000 visitors over 12 weeks . the land around the showgrounds sells at $ 1 million to $ 2 million per acre—bellissimo now owns 500 acres—and properties that once would have cost $ 300 , 000 have sold for $ 12 million . the equestrian center has 12 competition rings , 2 , 500 stables and a 7 , 000 - seat main arena , as well as a riding school and a separate facility for dressage . “creating global dressage here turned the tide—it was starting to atrophy in the u . s . , ” says van kampen boyer . “it’s brought us back . ”

“the rental rates for stalls were ridiculously expensive . if i’m going to pay that much , i want to own the property , ”

one of bellissimo’s big ideas is gladiator polo , a variant of arena polo , in which teams of three players square off in a 300 - by - 150 - foot enclosed ring instead of on a grass field . for gladiator polo , the teams wear color - coded uniforms and mount ponies wearing matching leg wraps , saddle covers and hoods over their faces . instead of prizefighters , the horses resemble executioners . much faster and more intense than traditional polo , it resembles hockey , but the horses are the skates . on a march evening in wellington , the new game drew hundreds of people , including sven odia , an avid polo player and co - ceo of the germany–based real estate brokerage engel & völkers . “this is amazing—this is the place to be , ” he remarked as he watched excitedly with his son from one of the vip grandstand tables that flank the playing field .

for all the benefits this overhaul of wellington’s equestrian scene has provided , mark bellissimo’s wellington experiment has not gone unchallenged . prosperity has brought with it beastly traffic jams and noise pollution . boston billionaire jeremy jacobs , who owns a 200 - acre compound near the showgrounds , has fought this expansion of the center in a decadelong series of lawsuits and complaints to the village council that have prevented bellissimo from building hotels and condos—imperative for growth in a landlocked community with finite real estate and only one hotel , a hampton inn . “he was going to build a clubhouse . he wanted valet parking for horses , ” complained lou jacobs , jeremy’s son and frequent spokesperson , of bellissimo in 2013 to boston magazine . “from my view at the outset , it was all about development . ” stymied by the legal blockades instituted by jacobs and the village council , bellissimo set his sights on north carolina . “it was just so difficult to do anything in wellington , ” says katherine .

this corner of north carolina depends on tourism . lake lure , a tranquil community of summer homes on the water , has attracted visitors since the 1920s . drawn by the scenery , hollywood occasionally visited—movies such as firestarter and dirty dancing were filmed here . the area is also home to a cluster of small wineries as well as gun clubs , and it’s a weekend escape for residents of nearby metro areas such as charlotte , n . c . , and greenville , s . c . it also had some tourism infrastructure : bellissimo purchased a failed residential development called white oak plantation , which came with an electric grid , sewage , water and even a golf course . the combination of inexpensive land , existing residential framework , natural beauty and proximity to international airports made this the ideal place for bellissimo’s equestrian resort and helped him win the world equestrian games bid .

if there’s a downside to securing a sports event that will inject $ 400 million into the local economy , it’s that it’s just 16 months away . the handful of log cabins at tryon won’t be enough to handle the deluge of visitors , and local hotel rooms—especially those geared to an affluent clientele—are scant . while plans for a 180 - room luxury hotel and spa managed by salamander hotels & resorts are underway , owner sheila johnson has some pause . “we are concerned about the deadline , ” she says . “but mark will get it done . he’s a brilliant businessman , and he has his own world of urgency . ”

bellissimo isn’t worried about tryon’s readiness . “we’re building tools that allow us to do it fast , ” he says , referring to a modular construction business he acquired for $ 3 million . with special - ordered automated equipment , bellissimo is able to churn out high - quality modular units in record time . those log cabins at tryon—some with two stories and luxurious cathedral ceilings—can be assembled and erected in just days , and he intends to apply the same principles to construction of the resort . “it’s easy to go out and start throwing crazy money , but i’ve been able to find really great assets and build inexpensively , ” bellissimo says .

following lunch at roger’s , bellissimo drives his range rover to the top of a hill where he first stood in 2013 . it overlooks the main arena of tryon , where three years ago he directed work crews to remove 2 to 3 million tons of earth . he points down and tells me , “this used to be a mountain . ”

contact : mark bellissimo , mbellissimo @ urltoken , pbiec . urltoken , tryon . urltoken .