Marsh Owl

Photo by swainsons
Johannesburg

Asio capensis

Identification

35-37 cm

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

Distribution

Africa:

Photo by peterday
Merdja Zerga, Morocco

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

Taxonomy

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

Habitat

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

Behaviour

Breeding

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

Diet

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

Vocalisation

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

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

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Marsh Owl. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Marsh_Owl

External Links

Search for photos of Marsh Owl in the gallery