- Strix mauritanica
Identification
- Round-headed without "horns"
- Upperside greyish-brown with dark bars
- Underside more buffy but still with blackish markings
- Eyes dark
Similar Species
Similar to Tawny Owl but lacks rufous morph and is larger by about 20%.
Distribution
North Africa: Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
This species was formerly included in Tawny Owl.
Habitat
Very broad habitat tolerance from forest and woodland to gardens and orchards.
Behaviour
Rodents, birds, reptiles and insects all are included in the diet.
Vocalisation
Lower pitched and longer duration than Tawny Owl, with some structural differences too.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2) DRAFT. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- Rasmussen, P. C. (2021). Maghreb Owl (Strix mauritanica), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. C. Rasmussen, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.tawowl3.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Maghreb Owl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 24 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Maghreb_Owl
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
