Spotted eagle-owls hunt from perches from where they dive and slide on their preys. They can also arise quickly in the air and try to catch birds or flying insects. They mainly consume invertebrates : large beetles, termites, spiders, scorpions. They also eat small mammals (shrews, rodents, ground squirrels, hedgehogs and young hares) and reptiles or amphibians. They quench their thirst at water points when they are available.