- Otus senegalensis
Identification
Length 14-18 cm; mass 45-97 g. A small, heavily streaked, grey owl with ear tufts. The face is surrounded by black edging.
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa
Western Africa: Senegambia, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea
Eastern Africa: Somalia
Southern Africa: Namibia, South Africa
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
- O. s. senegalensis:
- Widespread sub-Saharan Africa
- O. s. pamelae:
- Southern Saudi Arabia
- O. s. socotranus:
- Socotra
- O. s. feae:
- Pagulu (Gulf of Guinea)
- O. s. nivosus:
- South-eastern Kenya (lower Tana River to Lali Hills)
Habitat
Dry woodland, savanna, parks
Behaviour
Nocturnal.
Diet
The diet includes insects and spiders.
Vocalisation
A frog-like prrup repeated every 5-8 seconds; often for several minutes.
Breeding
They breed in a tree cavity. 4-6 eggs laid from April - June and incubated for 27 days. Young fledge by about 30 days.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
- Avibase
- SA-Venues.com
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) African Scops Owl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 November 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/African_Scops_Owl
