- 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
Arabian Scops Owl and Socotra Scops Owl were formerly included in this species.
Subspecies[1]
- O. s. senegalensis:
- Widespread sub-Saharan Africa
- 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, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2014. IOC World Bird Names (version 4.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- 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. (2021) African Scops Owl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/African_Scops_Owl
