From Opus

Photo by swainsons
Johannesburg

Asio capensis

[edit] Identification

35-37 cm

• Yellow eyes
• Black iris
• Short ear-tufts
• Dark brown plumage

[edit] Distribution

Africa:

Photo by GarethH
Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa

Northern Africa: Morocco, Tunisia
Western Africa: Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, DRC and Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Swaziland
African Islands: Madagascar

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies^[1]:

• A. c. tingitanus:

• North-western Morocco

• A. c. capensis:

• Patchily distributed Senegambia to Ethiopia and South Africa

• A. c. hova:

• Grasslands and marshes of Madagascar

[edit] Habitat

Prefers wetland with large and high grassland as Scirpus sp and Juncus sp.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Breeding period occurs between March to June. They lay 2-4 eggs on the ground, amongst tussocks.

[edit] Diet

Diet includes insects, and small mammals, such as rodents and birds.

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: a frog-like kaar or rasping whistle shrss.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia
4. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links