Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl

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Bubo lacteus

Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, or the Giant Eagle-Owl, is the biggest owl occurring in Africa and one of the biggest on the planet. Females are considerably larger than males, and tip the scales at up to 3kg, with a wingspan of over 1.5m. It inhabits dry savanna, woodlands and riverine forests, even penetrating deserts along drainage lines where large trees grow (such as in the Kalahari). As can be expected from such a large bird of prey their menu includes mostly small to medium vertebrates (up to the size of hares, springhares, piglets, monkeys, herons, flamingoes and even other large owls!)

Pairs of Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl are monogamous and defend fairly large territories. Here they roost and nest in large trees, taking over the large stick nests of other big birds of prey or utilising the tops of the nests of the hamerkop or sociable weavers. They breed through winter and spring, when the female incubates a clutch of (usually) 2 eggs for over 5 weeks, while the male feeds her at night. Usually the second chick to hatch dies of starvation within 2 weeks, as the first-hatched hogs most of the food brought back by the parents. The surviving chick stays in the nest for around 2 months, but will remain dependent on its parents for up to a year and some may even stay with their parents to help raise the next chick. Though they are mainly nocturnal, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls are regularly encountered on the hunt around dawn and dusk

Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl is widely distributed over sub-Saharan Africa and considered of least concern by the IUCN. In South Africa they occur only in northern Kwazulu Natal, the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, and patchily along the borders with Botswana into the Kalahari regions of the Northern Cape, with a scattering of records from elsewhere in the country. In South Africa they are increasingly becoming scarce outside of the major conservation areas.

Giant Eagle Owl near Satara
Verreaux’s (Giant) Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s (Giant) Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s (Giant) Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s (Giant) Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s (Giant) Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s Eagle Owl seen at Twee Rivieren
Verreaux’s Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s Eagle Owl chick in a nest built in a windpump
Verreaux’s Eagle Owl chick at its nest in a windpump
Newly fledged Verreaux’s Eagle Owl chick with parent
Verreaux Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s Eagle Owl
Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
Verreaux;s Eagle Owl fast asleep in Letaba

31 thoughts on “Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl”

  9. John

    It’s a big and beautiful owl.😊 The smallest owl in Sweden is the Eurasian pygmy owl, which is only 15-19 cm and weighs about 60 grams!😊 Owls are really amazing birds. Their hearing and vision are incredibly good.

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  10. Anne

    We used to have these owls on our farm in Mpumalanga when I was young: rather territorial, so one could find ones at certain places along the road at night – almost every night.

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