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Home | Animals | Birds | Birds of Prey | Owls | Southern White-faced Scops Owl
Southern White-faced Scops Owl
.jpg "Southern White-faced Scops Owl")
| Conservation status | |
|---|---|
| NR | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Ptilopsis |
| Species: | P. granti |
| Binomial name | |
| Ptilopsis granti (Kollibay, 1910) | |
| Synonyms | |
| Ptilopsis erlangeri | |
Description
It is 22-28 centimetres long and weighs 185-220 grams. The upperparts are grey with dark streaks and there are white spots on the scapular feathers. The underparts are whitish with dark streaks. The face is white with a black border and black around the large orange eyes. The head has two short "ear" tufts with black tips. Juvenile birds have a greyish face. Similar Species Id: The Southern White and Northern White-faced Owl look alike, except the Northern White-faced Owl is usually paler and browner with reduced streaking below.
Diet
Their diet consists of large invertebrates as well as some small mammals, birds and reptiles.
Calls
The call is a series of fast, bubbling hoots. It is uttered at night and frequently repeated. The Northern White-faced Owl has a very different two-note call.
Habitat
Its range of the Southern White-faced Owl is restricted to the southern half of Africa, extending from Gabon eastwards to southern Kenya and southwards to Namibia and northern South Africa. It inhabits savanna and dry woodland. It is usually seen alone or in pairs.