Ptilopsis granti
The Southern White-faced Owl (*Ptilopsis granti*) is a strikingly cryptic yet captivating medium-small owl, measuring 22-26 cm in length and weighing 185-235 grams, with a wingspan of approximately 60 cm. Its plumage is predominantly pale gray-brown, finely vermiculated, offering superb camouflage against tree bark. Distinctive field marks include its bright orange to yellow-orange eyes, prominent ear tufts, and a vivid white facial disk strikingly outlined in black, which gives the species i...
Found in dry woodlands, savannas, thornbush, acacia thickets, and riparian forests, typically at low to mid-elevations.
Primarily consumes large insects like beetles, moths, and grasshoppers, supplemented by scorpions, spiders, small rodents, small birds, and lizards; typically foraged by swooping from a perch.
The Southern White-faced Owl is strictly nocturnal and crepuscular, emerging from its diurnal roosts at dusk to hunt and calling into the night. During the day, it roosts solitarily or in pairs, often pressed tightly against a tree trunk, relying on its expert camouflage. As a sit-and-wait predat...
The Southern White-faced Owl boasts a significant distribution across southern Africa, being a resident species throughout its range. Its breeding and year-round presence extends from southern Angola and northern Namibia eastward through Botswana, Zimbabwe, and into southern Mozambique and extrem...
Least Concern
- The Southern White-faced Owl is famous for its "face-changing" defensive display, drastically altering its appearance to either blend in or intimidate. - When facing a small predator, it compresses its feathers, stands tall and slender, and narrows its eyes, disappearing into the tree bark. - A...