African Wood-Owl

The African wood owl is a medium-sized owl which has the typical rounded head of the genus Strix, similar to the Palearctic tawny owl or Holarctic great grey owl, with large dark eyes outlined by white eyebrows. The rest of the head is generally dark brown with white spots and a prominent yellow beak. It has a white belly with brown barring and has and overall rich brown plumage with paler underparts, but this varies considerably across its range. Juveniles are a paler rufous colour. It is 30.5 to 35 cm (12.0 to 13.8 in) long and weighs from 240 to 350 grams (8.5 to 12.3 oz).

Voice. The typical song, like that of the tawny owl, is a duet between the male and the female, the male makes a series of rapid, clear hoots, and the female answers with higher pitched, more leisurely hoots. Each series of hoots (for each sex) comprise three groups of syllables (WHU-hu, WHU-hu-hu, hu-hu). Calling begins after dusk. The call is audible over 500 m away and has a maximum frequency of 1kHz. There is evidence that individuals can be differentiated based on their calls. Other sounds made by African wood owls include a howl (which is monosyllabic) and bill clicking which can be heard at the nest or when the owl is alarmed.

African wood owls can be found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. They are found from Senegal and The Gambia, along the Gulf of Guinea into the Congo Basin and Angola. In the east they occur from Ethiopia down through Kenya and Tanzania into Zambia and Mozambique. Although absent from most of Namibia, they do occur in the Caprivi region, as well as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and South Africa as far south as Cape Town.

African wood owls live in indigenous forests and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa (occasionally found in plantations). In Southern Africa they inhabit riparian, coastal and escarpment forests. They can also be found in well wooded suburban areas. African wood owls are strictly nocturnal and eat mostly insects, but will also eat reptiles, small mammals, and other birds which are mostly caught by swooping from a perch.