Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) has witnessed another rare species recently. Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl was spotted for the first time in Melghat. The rare bird was spotted at Sipna forest range of Melghat Tiger Reserve a few days ago. Earlier, this species was first time spotted in Central India in Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Nagpur district. The spot-bellied eagle-owl is a large species of owl. It is a forest-inhabiting species found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The bird measures from 50 to 65 cm (20 to 26 inch) in length. It is the sixth longest owl in the world on an average and has the ninth longest wings of any living owl. The widely reported weight range for this species is 1.3 kg to 1.5 kg. The sighting of the bird was recorded by nature guides including Bhola Babu Mavaskar, Avinash Meshram, Ashok Mavaskar and Akshay Bhola Mavaskar. This sighting added another important species to the bird diversity of Melghat.