African Scops-Owl

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Otus senegalensis

At between 60 and 80g in weight and with a wingspan under 50cm, the African Scops-Owl is one of the smallest owl species on the continent. It inhabits savannas, especially those dominated by thorn trees or mopane, and dry, open woodlands. They feed primarily on insects but will also prey on small mammals, birds, geckos and frogs. By day they are expertly camouflaged, roosting against tree trunks with their cryptic markings blending in perfectly with the textures of the bark. At night, their distinctive “prrrp” call is a familiar sound in many of our favourite wild places.

In southern Africa the Scops-Owl breeds in cavities in trees during late winter and spring. Pairs are monogamous, and the female incubates the clutch of 2-6 eggs for three weeks while the male brings food to her on the nest. After hatching the female stays with the chicks for another two weeks, at which point both parents need to hunt to feed the growing brood. The chicks leave the nest when they’re about a month old.

In South Africa, the African Scops-Owl is found in Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng, North West and the Kalahari regions of the Northern Cape, with a small and seemingly isolated population on the Eastern Cape coast and adjacent interior between East Londen and Port Elizabeth. North of our borders they occur widely over sub-Saharan Africa. The IUCN describes it as common throughout this range and considers the African Scops-Owl of least concern.

 

African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
Scops Owl
African scops owl
African scops owl

An African Scops-Owl that routinely roosts outside the reception office at Satara in the Kruger National Park must be one of the most photographed individuals of its species.

29 thoughts on “African Scops-Owl”

      2. DeWetsWild's avatarde Wets Wild Post author

        You certainly spend enough time outdoors, Joanne, that you have to have an owl sighting sooner or later. If only they weren’t so good at hiding!

    1. DeWetsWild's avatarde Wets Wild Post author

      Baie dankie Ineke! Wanneer ons op vakansie in die bis is stap ons graag met kolligte en soek nagdiere, en af-en-toe loop ons dan van hierdie outjies ook raak om af te neem.

      Baie dankie ook vir die inligting oor jul unieke “Morepork” uil – lyk asof dit n baie interessante spesie is!

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      1. scrapydo2.wordpress.com's avatarscrapydo2.wordpress.com

        Aaa, nou verstaan ek. Ja die geveerdes is darem baie interessant. Die fotograaf vriend van my sal ook tot die uiterste gaan om n spesiale voël af te neem. Gelukkig is hy nog goed beweeglik en nie soos ek wat maar moet oppas as ek skere bewegings maak of iewers inkruip. Inkom is nog okay maar daardie opstaan of uitgaan, aikona!

  8. John's avatarJohn

    Wow, such a little owl and so sweet. I have never had the luck to catch any owl on photo. Barely seen any, they are most active in the evenings and nights. Great pictures! 🙂

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    1. DeWetsWild's avatarde Wets Wild Post author

      Thanks a lot, John! We are lucky in that the owls in many of our favourite wild places have become quite used to having humans around and therefore aren’t skittish at all.

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  11. lois's avatarloisajay

    Oh my gosh–I honestly thought that very first photo was a little carving in the tree. How adorable are these little ones?! You notice I love the little tiny ones or the big boys like hippos and elephants. I have no middle ground. 😀

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