Spotted eagle owl
| Spotted Eagle Owl | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Aves |
| Sub-class | Neornithes |
| Infra-class | Neoaves |
| Order Information | |
| Order | Strigiformes |
| Family Information | |
| Family | Strigidae |
| Sub-family | Striginae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Bubo |
| Species Information | |
| Species | B. africanus |
| Population statistics | |
| Conservation status | Least concern[1] |
The spotted eagle owl (Bubo africanus) is a bird or prey of the family Strigidae, and is found in much of sub-Saharan Africa.
Description
Although considered large, the spotted eagle owl is one of the smaller birds of the genus Bubo, with a length of 18 inches, a wingspan of 39 to 55 inches, and a body weight of 1.1 to 1.9 pounds. Females are slightly larger than males.
The upper plumage is brown in color, and mottled throughout in dark brown, light brown, and creamy-white; both primary and secondary flight feathers are barred. The underside is lighter in color, with fine brown barring offset by irregular brown patches. The facial disk is a pale ochre, with a pair of faintly dark rings radiating outward towards a single black disk border. The ear tufts are prominent, and seem to extend directly from the yellow eyes. Legs are feathered to the toes.
Subspecies
- Bubo africanus africanus; Gabon, southern D. R. Congo, southern Uganda, central Kenya south to South Africa
- Bubo africanus milesi; southwestern Arabia, Yemen and Oman
- Bubo africanus tanae; Kenya: central and lower Tana River, Lali Hills
Some authorities consider the subspecies B. a. tanae to be the same as B. a. africanus,[2] and possibly a lightly-colored variant.[3]
Habitat
Spotted eagle owls prefer rocky areas in treeless areas, semi-desert and light forest. He is active at dusk and at night. From a high vantage point, it hunts for small mammals and lizards, large insects, and occasionally other birds.
