The marsh owl (Asio capensis) is a medium to large species of owl in the family Strigidae.
| Marsh owl | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Asio |
| Species: | A. capensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Asio capensis (Smith, 1834) | |
Medium-sized, dark brown with a pumpkin-shaped head with small 'ear' tufts. [3] The facial disc is pale buff, with a distinct dark brown rim with buff speckles. There is a dark brown area around the eyes, which are also dark brown. [4] Its ear-tufts are earth-brown and quite small, often not visible, and set near the centre of the forehead. [4] The tail is dark brown, barred pale buff with a whitish tip. Tarsi are feathered pale tawny-buff and toes are covered with pale buffish plumes, leaving the dark brown tips bare. Claws are blackish. [4]
Males are generally paler then females, and there is some individual variation in tone. [4] Length is 31–38 cm, wing length is 284–380mm, tail length is 132–186mm, and weight is 225–485g. [4]
The marsh owl's habitat preference is open grassland, marshlands and short scrub, [5] typically near marshy grounds, vleis or dams. [6] Marsh owls prefer to nest on the ground [6] and they have also been observed leaving certain areas during drought-stricken times. [5] Their preferred habitat tends to be vulnerable to destruction due to agriculture or overgrazing. [5]
Nesting usually occurs towards the end of the wet season or the start of the dry season. [5] The owls are monogamous and often territorial. They may nest in loose colonies. Territories are normally 0.8–2.5 square km but may be even smaller in denser populations. Hunting areas of neighboring pairs may overlap. [4] The nest is typically a hollow within a patch of grass, in which the grass or shrubs are pulled over to form a canopy, and the bottom is lined with dry foliage. [4]
The female will lay between 2–6 white eggs over the course of a few days. The incubation period is 27–28 days, and during this time the female will remain on the eggs and will be fed by her partner. [4] After hatching the chicks will remain in the nest until about 18 days. They will fully fledge at 29–35 days and be fully feathered by 70 days. [4]
Marsh owls are typically found singly or in pairs. [3] They are usually nocturnal; however, they are sometimes active during early morning and late afternoon. [3]
The marsh owl typically feeds on small rodents, insects and other small vertebrates. [4] Prey items include mice, voles, rats, shrews, young hares, bats, birds up to the size of small ducks and doves, frogs, lizards, scorpions, beetles and grasshoppers. [4]
The marsh owl has a fragmented distribution. They are common in the grasslands of southern Africa, occurring in the northern regions of South Africa down to the province of the Eastern Cape. [5] They are also found in Zimbabwe on the Mashonaland plateau, and in the Makgadikgadi lacustrine depression in Botswana. [5]
They have also been recorded on the floodplains on the Namibian coast and in isolated populations in Morocco and Madagascar. [5]
Marsh owls are not listed as vulnerable or endangered, but their population is on the decline mainly due to loss of habitat through urbanization. Marsh owls commonly breed during the winter months when veld fires occur. They nest on the ground in habitat that typically includes marshes, savannas and grasslands. Farmers burn veld to stimulate the regrowth of vegetation for grazing, to prevent the encroachment of unwanted plants and weeds and to control ticks. [7] Although veld fires are necessary for maintaining the grassland’s ecosystem, it should be limited to a 5-year cycle instead of an annual event. Irresponsible burning of veld robs wildlife of habitat and in the case of marsh owls, it has a huge impact on their breeding and population.
The isabelline wheatear is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher in the family Muscicapidae. It is a migratory insectivorous bird. Its habitat is steppe and open countryside and it breeds in southern Russia and Central Asia to northern Pakistan, wintering in Africa and northwestern India. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
The Eurasian eagle-owl is a species of eagle-owl that resides in much of Eurasia. It is also called the Uhu and it is occasionally abbreviated to just the eagle-owl in Europe. It is one of the largest species of owl, and females can grow to a total length of 75 cm (30 in), with a wingspan of 188 cm, with males being slightly smaller. This bird has distinctive ear tufts, with upper parts that are mottled with darker blackish colouring and tawny. The wings and tail are barred. The underparts are a variably hued buff, streaked with darker colouring. The facial disc is not very defined and the orange eyes are distinctive.
The Eurasian bittern or great bittern is a wading bird in the bittern subfamily (Botaurinae) of the heron family Ardeidae. There are two subspecies, the northern race breeding in parts of Europe and across the Palearctic, as well as on the northern coast of Africa, while the southern race is endemic to parts of southern Africa. It is a secretive bird, seldom seen in the open as it prefers to skulk in reed beds and thick vegetation near water bodies. Its presence is apparent in the spring, when the booming call of the male during the breeding season can be heard. It feeds on fish, small mammals, fledgling birds, amphibians, crustaceans and insects.
The eastern marsh harrier is a bird of prey belonging to the marsh harrier group of harriers. It was previously considered to be conspecific with the western marsh harrier but is now usually classified as a separate species. It has two subspecies: C. s. spilonotus in eastern Asia and C. s. spilothorax in New Guinea.
The short-eared owl is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may not be visible. The short-eared owl will display its tufts when in a defensive pose, although its very short tufts are usually not visible. The short-eared owl is found in open country and grasslands.
The long-eared owl, also known as the northern long-eared owl or, more informally, as the lesser horned owl or cat owl, is a medium-sized species of owl with an extensive breeding range. The scientific name is from Latin. The genus name Asio is a type of eared owl, and otus also refers to a small, eared owl. The species breeds in many areas through Europe and the Palearctic, as well as in North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, of the family Strigidae, which contains most extant species of owl.
The water pipit is a small passerine bird which breeds in the mountains of Southern Europe and the Palearctic eastwards to China. It is a short-distance migrant; many birds move to lower altitudes or wet open lowlands in winter.
The eastern screech owl or eastern screech-owl, is a small owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. This species is native to most wooded environments of its distribution, and more so than any other owl in its range, has adapted well to manmade development, although it frequently avoids detection due to its strictly nocturnal habits.
The pearl-spotted owlet is a small bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa. They belong to the Strigidae family, otherwise known as the typical owls or the true owls, which contains most species of owl. As part of the genus Glaucidium, or pygmy owls, they are commonly referred to as 'owlets' due to their diminutive size. Pearl-spotted owlets are brownish and heavily spotted white, with two distinct black false 'eyes' at the back of their head. They are often confused with an African barred owlet.
Asio is a genus of typical owls, or true owls, in the family Strigidae. This group has representatives over most of the planet, and the short-eared owl is one of the most widespread of all bird species, breeding in Europe, Asia, North and South America, the Caribbean, Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands. Its geographic range extends to all continents except Antarctica and Australia.
The Madagascar owl, also known as the Madagascan owl or Madagascar long-eared owl, is a medium-sized owl endemic to the island of Madagascar. It is sometimes considered to be conspecific with the long-eared owl.
The African marsh harrier is a bird of prey belonging to the harrier genus Circus. It is largely resident in wetland habitats in southern, central and eastern Africa from South Africa north to South Sudan.
The pale chanting goshawk is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. This hawk breeds in southern Africa and is a resident species of dry, open semi-desert with 75 cm or less annual rainfall. It is commonly seen perched on roadside telephone poles.
The fulvous owl, or Guatemala barred owl, is a resident of the cloud forests of Central America. A medium-sized true owl, it has a round head, lacking ear tufts. Its typical coloration is warm dark brown or reddish brown on the back and lighter brown on the front with darker barring. Adults weigh approximately 600 grams (21 oz), with females being heavier. Its distribution is limited to highland regions of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. It inhabits elevations from 1,200 to 3,100 meters, and is fairly common within its range. Its behavior is poorly known, as are its population size and distribution. It is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, although it is considered endangered in Mexico.
The rufous-naped lark or rufous-naped bush lark is a widespread and conspicuous species of lark in the lightly wooded grasslands, open savannas and farmlands of the Afrotropics. Males attract attention to themselves by a bold and often repeated wing-fluttering display from a prominent perch, which is accompanied by a melodious and far-carrying whistled phrase. This rudimentary display has been proposed as the precursor to the wing-clapping displays of other bush lark species. They have consistently rufous outer wings and a short erectile crest, but the remaining plumage hues and markings are individually and geographically variable. It has a straight lower, and longish, curved upper mandible.
The spotted nightjar or spotted eared-nightjar is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It inhabits much of mainland Australia and has also been found in several Indonesian islands. Its natural habitats are open forests and woodlands, scrub, spinifex and tussock grassland, savannah woodland and mangroves.
The Cape eagle-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is one of several large species of the eagle-owl genus Bubo.
Pel's fishing owl is a large species of owl in the family Strigidae, found in Africa. It lives near rivers and lakes, and feeds nocturnally on fish and frogs snatched from the surface of lakes and rivers. The species prefers slow-moving rivers with large, overhanging trees to roost in and forage from. It nests in hollows and the forks of large trees. Though as many as two eggs are laid, often only one chick is raised.
The African grass owl is a species of owl in the barn owl family, Tytonidae.
The eastern grass owl, also known as Chinese grass owl or Australian grass owl, is a species of owl in the family Tytonidae. They feed predominantly on small rodents.
Media related to Asio capensis at Wikimedia Commons
