Ketupa shelleyi
The Shelley's Eagle-Owl (Ketupa shelleyi) is a truly magnificent and enigmatic avian predator, renowned as one of Africa's largest and most elusive owls. Measuring approximately 55-61 cm (22-24 inches) in length with a wingspan potentially reaching 150 cm (59 inches), it presents a formidable presence in the dense rainforest canopy. Its plumage is strikingly dark rufous-brown above, contrasting with a paler, barred underside, and is accentuated by prominent ear tufts. Distinctive golden-yello...
This owl primarily inhabits lowland primary tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf rainforests. It is frequently found near rivers, streams, or swampy areas within these dense forest ecosystems, typically at elevations up to 1,600 meters.
The diet of Shelley's Eagle-Owl is varied, including large insects, small to medium-sized mammals (e.g., rodents, bats, pangolins, monkeys), birds, and potentially reptiles and fish. It hunts primarily as an ambush predator from an elevated perch.
Shelley's Eagle-Owl is a strictly nocturnal and largely solitary species, spending its daylight hours roosting cryptically within the dense canopy of large trees. Its foraging strategy involves silent swoops from a high, concealed perch, utilizing its acute hearing and vision to locate prey in th...
Shelley's Eagle-Owl exhibits a highly fragmented and discontinuous distribution across the humid rainforests of West and Central Africa. In West Africa, its presence is recorded from Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Nigeria. Further east, it is found in parts of Central Africa, including ...
Vulnerable
- Shelley's Eagle-Owl is one of the largest and most poorly known owls in all of Africa, making encounters exceptionally rare. - Its striking golden-yellow eyes against its dark plumage are a key diagnostic feature, earning it the nickname 'Ghost of the Forest'. - This owl was first scientificall...