A small owl of the African Savannah

The white faced owl is a creature of enchanting beauty. This very elegant bird of silent flight lives in the African Savannah. It looks like a small owl with a beautiful and soft gray plumage, very contrasted by its orange eyes. Its yellow beak is almost totally hidden under its long overhanging and drooping feathers. Its head is small and flat with a white facial disc bordered in black and with two nice tufts of feathers. The legs are greyish with very visible claws. Usually these birds have a total length of 19 to 25 cm, with about 220 grams of body weight and a wingspan of about 60 cm.

Origin

In nature this little guy lives in the African Savannah, more precisely in the Sahara region up to the equator. It prefers areas where there are large acacias because its plumage allows it to blend well among their branches, being the same color as the bark of these plants. In Kenya it has been sighted up to 1700 meters above sea level.

Diet

This bird species feeds on small prey, especially small mammals such as rodents.

Behavior

Unlike what the great owls do, this little owl has diurnal / crepuscular habits and is not a great flyer, it prefers to jump on the ground in search of small prey. During the day it remains hidden in the trees, almost always high up. At dusk it begins to move with short-range and silent flights.

Its defense techniques are particular, if disturbed, it inflates the plumage and spreads its wings in order to appear larger, and try to scare the enemy. If the predator is of considerable size, however, it shrinks so as to appear undernourished and unappetizing.

This beautiful bird proves to be very sociable towards humans, so much so that it can be reared at home, obviously with the right precautions.

If you want to see it live, come and visit us! Our specimen of scops owl is called Anacleto and is located in the Pet Shop department of Iperverde !