From Opus

Photo by jdbirdman
Etosha, Namibia, October 2004

Otus senegalensis

Includes: Socotra Scops Owl

[edit] 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.

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa
Western Africa: Senegambia, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea
Eastern Africa: Somalia
Southern Africa: Namibia, South Africa
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• O. s. senegalensis:

• Widespread sub-Saharan Africa

• O. s. pamelae:

• Southern Saudi Arabia

• O. s. socotranus:

• Socotra (sometimes accepted as full species)

• O. s. feae:

• Pagulu (Gulf of Guinea)

• O. s. nivosus:

• South-eastern Kenya (lower Tana River to Lali Hills)

[edit] Habitat

Dry woodland, savanna, parks

[edit] Behaviour

Nocturnal.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects and spiders.

[edit] Vocalisation

A frog-like prrup repeated every 5-8 seconds; often for several minutes.

[edit] 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.

[edit] References

1. 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.
2. 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
3. Avibase
4. SA-Venues.com

• List of references

[edit] External Links