OWL RESEARCH PROJECT:

30MARCH 2011:

EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT OWLS:

SOUTHERN WHITE FACED OWLS:

Breeding: Nests from May to November, in tree hole or old stick nests of other birds. 2-3 eggs, incubated for 30 days. Young leave nest by 1 month and are independent by 6 weeks.

Call: Bubbling series of “po’s”, the first part rather stuttered then more fluting.

Status: Until recently classed as Otis, but recent DNA evidence suggests the genus is very different. In the U.K., the breeding program for this species (which includes the World Owl Trust) is managed by a stud book.

Comments: Monotypic, was included with P. leucotis, but vocalisations and DNA are significantly different.

Races: No additional races.

BARN OWLS:

Description: A medium sized, pale coloured owl with whitish under parts. The bill is short and deep, with a sharply hooked tip. The eyes are brown, bill whitish or pale pink and the feet are pinkish, legs are feathered with buff-coloured feathers.

The upperparts are tawny-brown and pale grey, with white spots. The face and under parts are white, with small brown spots on the breast and belle. It has an obvious face-mask, which is whitish and heart shaped. The dark eyes stand out prominently on the pale face.

Name: Tyto albq

Habitat: Semi-desert to forest edges. Often found near human habitation, which provides nesting and roosting sites.

Distribution: The Barn Owl is one of the most successful and widespread predators on earth, being found across the globe, and in almost all habitats.

Diet Description: Rodents.

Socialisation: Barn Owl usually occurs in pairs and spends the day roosting in a hidden cavity, which might be in an old building, mineshaft, nest or natural cavity in rock or tree.

Reproduction: The Barn Owl breeds mainly from August to September in the Western Cape and March-May elsewhere.

Breeding: is timed to coincide with the best season for hunting when the chicks are being cared for. It does not build a nest but simply lays the eggs on a suitable depression.

The Spotted Eagle Owl:

Is a medium to large owl with prominent ear tufts. The upper-parts of the body are dusky brown with pale spots; the under-parts are whitish and finely barred. The facial disk is whitish to pale ochre and the eyes are yellow. Its height is 45cm and its weight is from 480 to 850g. The wingspan is 33cm.

Nocturnal hunters; the spotted eagle owl spends most of the day concealed in trees, rock ledges or abandoned burrows.

Name: Bubo aficanus

Size: 45cm, 480-850g

Habitat: Savannah, rocky outcrops, scrub, open and semi-open woodland, semi-deserts.

Distribution: Sub-equatorial Africa from Kenya and Uganda south to the Cape

Diet: Invertebrates, small mammals, birds and reptiles

Reproduction: July-February, 2-4 eggs laid in scrape on the ground, normally sheltered by a bush, grass or rocks. Incubation 32 days. Young leave the nest by about 5 weeks and are fledged by 7 weeks, but remain with parents for at least another 5 weeks.

Call: Song is normally 1 or 2 "double hoots", followed by a 3 syllable hoot and then 1 long drawn out hoot hoo-hoo buhoohoo-hooo.

The Verreaux's eagle-owl:

Occurs across sub-Saharan Africa, mainly occupying arid savannah and forest. It mainly eats mammals and birds, including large species such as the Pell’s fishing owl. It is an extremely agile hunter for its size, and can actually catch smaller birds in flight! It uses stick nests constructed by other birds, such as weavers, crows and raptors. Here it lays 2 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female, for about 38-39 days, who is fed at night by the male. Of the two chicks only one survives, 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 2 months, after which he remains dependent on his parents for 1-2 more years.

Distribution and habitat: 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. It generally prefers arid savannah and woodland, especially riverside forest, occasionally moving into open areas such as

grassland.

Food: Its diet consists of a wide variety of animals, most of which are vertebrates such as mamm

als 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! The following food items have been recorded in its diet:

• Vertebrates
• Mammals
• Warthog piglets
• Vervet monkey -juveniles
• South African hedgehog
• Bushbabies
• fruit bats
• mongooses
• Birds:
• Warblers, sand grouse
• raptors
• flamingos
• herons
• Southern yellow-billed hornbill
• Helmeted guinea fowl
• Northern black korhaan
• Denham's bustard
• Yellow-billed duck, African black duck
• Bateleur nestlings
• Secretary bird
• Pel's fishing-owl
• reptiles
• amphibians
• Invertebrates:
• termites, beetles

Breeding:

• Usually uses stick nests constructed by other birds, such as Sociable weavers, Red-billed buffalo weavers, Hamerkops, Secretary birds 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 parent’s territo ry for a year before becoming independent; however some fledglings remain with their parents for another year, to help them raise the next chick.

Threats: Not officially threatened, however it might be vulnerable due to its low population density and reproductive rate.

MARSH OWL:

Description: Medium sized

Owl with very small, seldom visible ear tufts. Uniform brown above, fine dusky vermiculations on lighter brown below. Paler facial disk

with dark area around dark brown eyes.

Size: 29-36cm, 225-375g Range Patchy populations in NW Morocco, and West Africa, Ethiopia south to South Africa and Madagascar.

Habitat: Open country including marshes, moors, savannah, montane grassland, avoiding extensive long grass, desert and forested areas.

Food: Mainly small mammals but also birds and invertebrates.

Breeding: February-October in N Africa, September-November in SW Africa. Nest on ground in shallow, unlined scrape amongst vegetation. 2-6 eggs are incubated fro 27-28 days. By about 2 weeks the young leave the nest area, but do not fledge for another 3 weeks.

Call: A loud croaking "krrrrrrr" said to resemble the noise made by slowly bending and breaking a branch.

Status: Not globally threatened, and nominate race widespread, however the other 2 races have a very limited range and small populations.

Comments: Formerly thought to be very closely related to the Short-eared Owl, but its vocalisations suggest otherwise and DNA sampling is required to shed light on its taxonomy.

Races: No additional information.