This species is found in a great variety of habitats. It favours proximity to human settlements, like the vicinity and outskirts of villages near cropland and refuse dumps, but also centres of large towns with sufficient open space for hunting (Jennings 2010). Its natural habitats include open country with scattered trees, forest edges, semi-desert and desert far away from human sites (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It hunts during the night. Its diet includes rodents (e.g., mice, rats or shrews) and birds (e.g., White-cheeked Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys, Common Myna Acridotheres tristis, House Sparrow Passer domesticus and domestic Rock Dove Columba livia), but it seems to avoid taking reptiles (Cunningham and Aspinall 2001, Jennings 2010). It breeds between December and June (Jennings 2010). It nests in tree holes, caves, crevices in rocks and abandoned buildings, or nest boxes (Jennings 2010). No nesting material is used, instead the eggs are placed directly in a small cup formed of the droppings, remains of prey and debris that accumulated in the nesting cavity (Jennings 2010). The clutch size is usually three to six eggs, but may be increased with increasing food availability (Jennings 2010).