Africa Wild Bird Book

[Pumbaa]

397. Southern White-faced Owl Ptilopsis granti (Witwanguil)
Order: Strigiformes. Family: Strigidae

Ptilopsis granti.jpg (42.89 KiB) Viewed 1297 times

Description
Size: 20–21 cm. Small owl with ear tufts and white facial disc edged with black and with bright orange (not yellow) eyes.
Adult: Sexes alike in plumage coloration. Rather stockily built, dove-sized owl. Facial disc large, white, with broad black border and black edges to long, large 'ear' tufts. Upper parts grey, with distinct black streaks. White tips to scapulars form pale line across shoulder. Underparts pale grey to white, with narrow black streaks and fine grey bars. Individual variation in intensity of colour and markings. Bill and cere pale grey. Eyes orange, large. Legs and feet pale grey-brown.

Distribution
Throughout the sub-Saharan region of Africa, from southern DRC and Tanzania to Zambia, Angola, Malawi and southern Africa. Within southern Africa it is locally common in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and north-eastern South Africa.

Habitat
Thornveld and dry, broad-leaved woodland.

Diet
The diet includes large insects and arachnids, also mammals and birds up to the size of a dove. It hunts by flying from perch to perch, trying to locate prey. Once prey is spotted, it descends to the ground to pluck the animal up with its talons.

Breeding
It usually nests in stick nests made by other birds, sometimes evicting raptors (eg. Shikra, Gabar Goshawk, Ovambo Sparrowhawk) before they have even laid all their eggs! It also nests in natural cavities in trees. Egg-laying season is mainly from August to November, exceptionally in February and May. It lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated mainly by the female for 30 days, while the male does most of the hunting. The chicks are are fed only by the male for about two weeks, after which both sexes do the hunting. The brood leave the nest for the surrounding bush when they are 28 days old, and can fly 2-5 days later. They are dependent on their parents for at least two weeks after leaving the nest.

Call
Its call is variously described as a tremulous, two-syllable whoo-oooo, or a more dovelike coo-coo. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common resident.

[Pumbaa]

397. Southern White-faced Owl Ptilopsis granti (Witwanguil)



© ExFmem

© Dewi

© Dewi

© ExFmem

Links:
Species text Sabap1
Sabap2: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
Peter Steyn: A Delight of Owls: African Owls Observed

[Bushveld Jock]

400. Cape Eagle-Owl Bubo capensis (Kaapse ooruil)
Order: Strigiformes. Family: Strigidae

Cape Eagle-owl.jpg (42.95 KiB) Viewed 1132 times

Description:
A large brownish owl of stocky proportions. Length 48-58 cm. Dark brown, buff spotted upperparts. Creamy-buff, dark blotched underparts. Pale buff facial disk. Orange-yellow iris.
Similar species: Easily confused with Spotted Eagle-owl, but differs in combination of larger size, orange-yellow eyes and heavily blotched underparts with bold barring. Feet and talons larger.

Distribution
It has an extremely fragmented range, with populations in Ethiopia, Kenya and southern Africa; there are no places where you can see it easily. Within southern Africa it is scarce in southern Namibia, Zimbabwe, western Mozambique, Lesotho and South Africa, from Limpopo Province south to KZN and west to the Northern and Western Cape.

Habitat
It is restricted to mountainous areas with cliffs, outcrops and gorges, and can live as high as 2500m above sea level. Habitat preferences vary from region to region, favouring mesic fynbos in the Western Cape, miombo woodland in Zimbabwe, grassland and bushveld in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, and semi-desert scrub in Namibia.

Diet
Mainly eats mammals, supplemented with birds, reptiles and invertebrates. It hunts at night, searching for prey on low perches. Once prey has been located, it swoops silently down, grabbing the prey with its strong talons. It is capable of carrying prey weighing 4.5 kg, four times its body weight of 1-1.2 kg.

Breeding
Nests in a scrape in the ground, often on ledges, hidden by trees or rocks, in cliff recesses or regularly near streams or rivers. The female often lies in the scrape for days before laying her eggs. It sometimes uses the same nest site repeatedly, but not in consecutive years. Egg-laying season is from May-July in eastern South Africa and Zimbabwe, from August-September in the Eastern Cape and from June-August in the Western Cape. It lays 1-3 eggs, which are incubated mainly by the female for about 34-38 days. The male spends most of his time providing her with food, although he may incubate occasionally so that the female can hunt. Once the chicks are born the male still does most of the hunting, but the female always feeds the prey to the brood. The chicks leave the nest at about 45 days old, but still remain in the vicinity of the nest, where they are still fed by both their parents. They become fully independent 2-3 months after fledging.

Call
HU-hu-hu or alarm call wak-wak. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Uncommon localised resident with preference for mountainous and inaccessible country.

[Bushveld Jock]

400. Cape Eagle-Owl Bubo capensis







Links:
Sabap2
Peter Steyn: A Delight of Owls: African Owls Observed

[Flutterby]

401. Spotted Eagle-Owl Bubo africanus (Gevlekte Ooruil)
Order: Strigiformes. Family: Strigidae

Spotted Eagle-owl.jpg (38.46 KiB) Viewed 1284 times

Description
Size 45 cm. Large owl; streaky grey with distinctive yellow eyes. Off white to pale orche facial disk, yellow eyes, prominent ear tufts, and the upper body is dusky brown, the lower parts off-white with brown bars. Grey and rufous colour forms occur. The grey form is the most common and is distinguished from the Cape Eagle Owl by it's smaller size, the lack of dark breast patches, the finely barred belly and flanks, the yellow (not orange) eyes, and the smaller feet. Sexes are alike and juveniles resemble the adults.
Adult: Face with black rim and 'ear' edges. Upper parts grey-brown, with fine pale grey and white vermiculations and spots, especially on mantle, scapulars and wing coverts. Tail with broad dark grey and white barring. Throat white; remainder of underparts, incl underwing coverts, pale grey or white, with fine grey bars; some large dark spots on sides of breast. Bill and cere black. Eyes yellow. Feathered legs white, feet grey-brown. Uncommon rufous-brown morph has eyes orange-yellow.

Distribution
Occurs across sub-Equatorial Africa. It is found all over South Africa; the most common eagle owl of the region.



Habitat
From desert to mature woodland, grassland and savanna. It is most prolific in open scrub and low grassland, so long as it has suitable roost sites. It has also adapted to living with humans, occurring in many towns and cities in southern Africa, roosting in buildings and trees and using streetlights as perches.

Diet
It has an extremely varied diet - over 60 species have been recorded as prey. It mainly hunts at night, only rarely coming out in the day to follow Honey badgers to bee's nests. The type of food it eats varies greatly between different areas and habitats, although rodents, small birds and shrews typically form the bulk of it's diet.

Breeding
The bond between breeding pairs of spotted eagle-owls is strong, and they may stay together for life. It uses a wide variety of nest sites; in one study, 61% used shallow holes/crevasses in the ground, 26% nested in trees or tree stumps and the remaining 13% nested in buildings. Egg-laying season is almost year-round, peaking from August-December. There are usually 2-3 eggs in one clutch, laid at 1-4 day intervals, although it can be as a high as six eggs in good years. Incubation is done solely by the female, while the male brings food to the nest. Incubation starts with the first egg laid and continues for 29-33 days. In nests on the ground the chicks leave the nest 30-38 days after hatching, but in raised nests, they only leave the nest after 40-42 days. The juveniles stay around the nest for 6-8 weeks, while learning to hunt. They become fully independent at about four months old.

Call
The Spotted Eagle-owl’s call is a typical hoot hoo-hoo. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common resident.

[Flutterby]

401. Spotted Eagle-Owl Bubo africanus

© 100ponder
Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal

© Peter Connan
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Melkvlei

© nan
Kruger National Park

© Michele Nel

© Dewi
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

© ExFmem

© ExFmem

Links:
Species Text Sabap1
Sabap2
Peter Steyn: A Delight of Owls: African Owls Observed
SANBI

[Bushveld Jock]

402. Verreaux's Eagle-Owl (formerly known as Giant Eagle Owl) Bubo lacteus (Reuse-ooruil)
ORDER STRIGIFORMES. Family Strigidae

Bubo lacteus.jpg (30.87 KiB) Viewed 1265 times

Description
66–75 cm. Largest owl easily identified by its large size, white oval disk face with a black border, rather short ear tufts and finely vermiculated pale grey plumage. Dark brown on top and light grey below. At close range pink eye lids and dark brown eyes are distinctive. Grey beak.

Distribution
Occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding lowland equatorial forest. In southern Africa it is locally common in northern and central Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and northern South Africa, except Namaqualand.

Habitat
Resident in broad-leafed woodlands, savanna, thornveld and riverine forest.

Diet
Its diet consists of a wide variety of animals, most of which are vertebrates such as mammals and birds. It usually hunts at night, sitting on a perch in the open and searching for prey. Once it spots something it rapidly glides down to the ground, attempting to grab the prey item with its talons. If it fails to catch anything, it often stays on the ground, trying to flush the animal out of its hiding place. It is extremely agile on the wing, and can actually catch small birds in flight!

Breeding
Usually uses stick nests constructed by other birds, such as Sociable Weavers, Red-billed Buffalo-weavers, Hamerkops, Secretarybirds and especially raptors, ranging from the small nests of goshawks to the large platforms constructed by eagles or vultures. It also occasionally uses tree cavities, as well as nests in tangles of creepers and orchids. Egg-laying season is from roughly May-October, peaking from June-September. It usually lays two eggs, one of which is slightly smaller than the other. They are incubated solely by the female for about 38-39 days, while the male feeds her at night. Of the two chicks only one survives, as the other obtains less food from its parents and usually dies of starvation after 2-3 weeks. The surviving chick stays in the nest for about 62-63 days, taking its first flight a few months later. It usually remains in its parents territory for a year before becoming independent, however some fledglings remain with their parents for another year, to help them raise the next chick.

Call
Grunting pig-like unnh-unnh-unnh. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Widespread but uncommon in south, more frequent in north and large conservation areas.

[Bushveld Jock]

402. Verreaux's Eagle-Owl Bubo lacteus (Reuse-ooruil)



© Bushcraft

© Duke
Juvenile, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

© Flutterby

© nan

© nan

Links:
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/402.pdf
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-verre ... e-owl.html

[Flutterby]

403. Pel's Fishing-Owl Scotopelia peli (Visuil)
Order: Strigiformes. Family: Strigidae

Pels Fishing Owl.jpg (40.02 KiB) Viewed 1257 times

© lowveldboy

Description
Large owl with darkly flecked, rufous plumage. It measures 51–63 cm in length, spans around 153 cm across the wings and weighs 2–2.35 kg.
Adults are rich ginger-rufous with dense dark bars to the upperparts and scaling to the underparts. The ear tufts of the Pel's Fishing Owl are barely visible, giving it a very round-headed appearance. The white throat is often largely obscured but can be puffed up in displaying birds during courtship. The flight and tail feathers are barred with lighter and darker feathers. The tarsi and toes are unfeathered and straw-colored. The eyes are distinctly dark, often blackish in color. Dark beak.
Sexes are similar but females are generally less rufous in color and have a more indistinct facial disc.
Juveniles are more uniform buff than adults.

Distribution
Populations of Pel’s Fishing Owl are scattered across tropical and semi-tropical Africa south of the Sahara, in southern Africa: on the Okavango, Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe rivers of northern Botswana, the Zambezi River in northern Zimbabwe, the Limpopo, Levuvhu and Olifants rivers; and in northern KwaZulu-Natal. It may be relatively common in Mozambique. In Swaziland, it was a breeding resident in the Umbuluzi gorge but it has not been recorded in that country since February 1984.

Habitat
Densely wooded riparian forest; swamp or lake margins with large shady trees overhanging water.

Diet
Almost entirely fish, mostly barbel, squeekers and pike; occasionally frogs, crabs and freshwater mussels. It hunts by first surveying the surrounding water from a low perch. Once it spots movement in an area of water, it rapidly dives with talons outstretched, before returning to its perch to feed. It may also fly in low to catch the fish without submerging itself in water, in the manner similar to the African fish eagle.

Breeding
Monogamous. Breeding on average every second year. It usually nests in deep cavities in riverine trees, less than 20 m from the water's edge. It also uses old Hamerkop nests, where it lays its eggs either on top of the nest or in part of the collapsed roof structure. Egg-laying season is from January-June, peaking from February-April. It usually lays two eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for 33-38 days, while the male feeds her at the nest. Of the two chicks only one survives, as the other obtains less food from its parents and usually dies of starvation after a few days. The surviving chick stays in the nest for about 68-70 days, becoming fully independent a few months later.

Call
The song of the male Pel's Fishing Owl is a deep, sonorous, horn-like boom, first a single and then a higher pitched huhuhu. The male also utters a ringed hoot, much higher pitched than those of most eagle-owls, followed by a deep, soft grunt: whoommmm-wot or hooomm-hut. The calls of the male are repeated ever 10 to 20 seconds can be heard from up to 3 km away. While singing, the male's throat and breast are often highly inflated. The female's songs are similar but are higher pitched and even in a double-note, i.e. hoot-oot. Females and young at the nest wail a shrill wheeoouu while anticipating food. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Uncommon, localised resident and largely confined to protected areas. Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. It is not threatened globally but it is designated as Vulnerable in South African Red Data assessments based on the same small localized populations and degradation of habitat outside reserves. Critically Endangered in Namibia.

[Flutterby]

403. Pel's Fishing-Owl Scotopelia peli (Visuil)

© lowveldboy

© lowveldboy

© Bush Brat (Balule)

© Bush Brat

© Dewi (Botswana)

© Dewi (Botswana)

© Dewi (Botswana)






Links:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
Sabap2
ARKive: http://www.arkive.org/pels-fishing-owl/ ... text=Facts
Oiseaux net - Chouette-pêcheuse de Pel