- Tyto capensis
Identification
- Dark brown upperparts
- Whitish below
- Round face
Similar Species
Distribution
Widespread throughout sub Saharan Africa
Western Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia,
Mozambique
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, eSwatini
Taxonomy
Until recently, the Eastern Grass Owl was considered to be part of the present species which at that time was known only as "Grass Owl".
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Wet grasslands.
Behaviour
They are mainly nocturnal and emerge shortly after dusk.
Breeding
It roosts and nests on the ground, forming tunnels in the grass.
Diet
The diet includes rodents, particularly Vlei Rats, but also birds, reptiles, frogs and insects.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) African Grass Owl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/African_Grass_Owl
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
