The Pel's Fishing Owl is the second largest owl in Africa. It feeds almost exclusively on fish and lives in dense forests near rivers. They are shy and are therefore seldom seen, so seeing one is always a thrilling event.
The Pel's Fishing Owl for many birders (we are not particularly birders by the way) is like the Holy Grail and it appears on many birding enthusiasts "top 10 to seek before I die lists".
The birds are uncommon and often evasive, avoiding disturbance. They live in riverine forest and prefer to perch high among the thick foliage. They often hunt at night and are most active and vocal in the hour before dawn. The one we saw was in just this type of habitat - not that we would have seen it without the help of the sharp eyes of our guide at Three Rivers Bush Camp, Jebbez.
It is the second largest owl that occurs in Africa. They are a lovely ginger brown to russet colour and have black spots on both their wings and bellies. They have a rounded head and large black eyes like deep pools of pitch. They lack the soft flight feathers of other owls as stealth is not necessary for snatching their underwater prey.
They also lack the characteristic facial disks of many owls. This disc is believed to help with hearing, and as the owl's prey lives underwater, the owls seem to have evolved without this feature. They have a haunting, chilling call, which has been likened to someone calling up from the bottom of a well. Their cries can be heard over a kilometre away.
No comments:
Post a Comment