Not sure what type of owl this is. Any idea?
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Most likely a Spotted Eagle Owl.
These guys drive me a little nuts out of context, even moreso than the dozens of Scops types. Many look close to our Screech Owls, but there’s usually at least something peculiar about them that will get me to take a deeper look. Spotted Eagles though are so close to Great Horned Owls found in colder North American climates though, I really struggle to tell them apart without a location given.
They are the most common owl is sub-Saharan Africa, so if I see a GHO but hear southern Africa, then it’s almost def a SEO.
The Cape Eagle Owl is the closest in looks, and I actually found this guide to telling them apart using photos from this facility! The yellow eyes and clearer barring of the chest seem to confirm Spotted.
Milky Eagle looks veeeery different, Mackinder’s Eagle Owl looks more like the Cape than the Spotted, Pharoah Eagle is north African and looks much more desert-y.
Spotted:
Great Horned (Canada):
Cape:
Milky:
Mackinder:
Pharoah:
Wow, fantastic post, thank you!
I was just going to post the first plc and link, but I was all, you talked about x, y, and z, but you’re the only one that knows what they look like without reference, so I was left with no choice! 😜
I’m fairly week on African owl knowledge, so it helps me out too.
Me too, I rarely see them (in the wild) but hear them quite often. I know their sounds better than their looks.
