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.
DeWetsWild 
Baie interessant en puik fotos.
Dankie nogmaals, Abrie
Owls are my favorite birds of prey. Nice collection of photos.
Thanks John! We’re also always excited to see a owl in the wild.
You have had some fortunate sightings! Your photos show how impressive it is.
I think the Giant (Verreaux’s) Eagle Owl is probably the species we see most often.
Ek is mal oor ‘n uil, Dries! So pragtig!
Lyk my baie mense het n voorliefde vir die wyse ou uil!
Absoluut In Eshowe was daar baie!
Ek oorweeg dit juis om bietjie daar in die Dlinza-woud te gaan stap wanneer ons Desember in daardie omgewing is! Jy moet my jou geheime van die plekkie vertel, asseblief Aletta?
Dis wonderlik, Mtumeni se bos het ook baie voels. Daar is mos n bos in die dorp met n boardwalk. Baie voels daar ook. Ook op die Eshowe Hills Golf estate is baie soorte spesies.
Beautiful. I love owls.
Thanks, Maralee! I’m so glad our friends here at de Wets Wild are also owl fans!
Lieflike foto’s, Dries!
Dankie, Dina!
Ek het ñ baie sagte plekkie vir uile, so hierdie was nou heerlik om te lees, dankie de Wet.
Baie dankie vir die gawe woorde, Una!
Daardie silhoeëtfoto is werklik treffend!
Baie dankie Tannie Frannie!
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.
I agree entirely, John – owls are fascinating birds in so many ways!
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.
What a privilege, Anne!
Awesome bird!
In so many respects!
That is a very large owl. Magnificent. Our largest owl in Australia is the Powerful Owl. The male is larger than the female and can have a wingspan up to 1.3m. But is quite a bit lighter than your owl. Regards. Tracy.
Big owls like that are very powerful predators indeed!
I once saw a Powerful Owl with a dead (half-eaten) possum hanging over a branch. The possum must have been as big as the owl and I imagine it put up a good fight!
Those claws are deadly weapons for sure!
Love these pictures. In fact, love Eagle Owls generally. I had the pleasure of meeting one up close and personal last Saturday — injured and taken into shelter, and now remarkably tame and amiable.
The wise old owl certainly is kind of your trademark, Leslie!