Alternative name: Southern White-faced Scops-Owl
- Ptilopsis granti
Identification
22-24cm.
Prominent ear tufts and characteristic white face, edged with black.
Upper-parts silvery-grey marked with black, underneath paler with black streaks and fine vermiculations.
Orange eyes.
Distribution
Throughout the sub-Saharan region of Africa.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1]..
This species was included with Northern White-faced Owl P. leucotis, but vocalisations and DNA are significantly different.
A thread indicates that the correct scientific name would be Ptilopsis erlangeri[2].
Habitat
Thornbushes and acacia trees in savannas, open woodland, riverine woodland.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes large insects and arachnids, also mammals and birds.
Breeding
They nest from May to November, in tree hole or old stick nests of other birds. 2-3 eggs are laid and incubated for 30 days. Young leave nest by 1 month and are independent by 6 weeks.
Vocalisation
Their call is variously described as a tremulous, two-syllable whoo-oooo, or a more dovelike coo-coo.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Birdforum thread discussing the scientific name of this species (posts 28-29)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Southern White-faced Owl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Southern_White-faced_Owl
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
