Southern white-faced owl
{{Short description|Species of owl}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Southern white faced scops owl.jpg
| image_caption=Near Chobe River, Botswana
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status2 = CITES_A2
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref = {{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}
| genus = Ptilopsis
| species = granti
| authority = (Kollibay, 1910)
| synonyms = Ptilopsis erlangeri
}}
The Southern white-faced owl (Ptilopsis granti) is a fairly small owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to the southern half of Africa. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the northern white-faced owl (P. leucopsis) but the two are now commonly treated as separate species.
Description
It is {{convert|22|-|28|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and weighs {{convert|185|-|220|g|oz|abbr=on}}. The upperparts are grey with dark streaks and there are white spots on the scapular feathers. The underparts are whitish with dark streaks. The face is white with a black border and black around the large orange eyes. The head has two short ear-tufts with black tips. Juvenile birds have a greyish face. The northern white-faced owl is usually paler and browner with reduced streaking below.
Their call is a series of fast, bubbling hoots, uttered at night and frequently repeated. These fast, staccato notes followed by a longer and higher-pitched ‘hoot’ are extensively used during breeding season and pairs of owls often sing together.{{cite web |last1=O'Farrill |first1=Amanda |title=Ptilopsis granti southern white-faced owl |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ptilopsis_granti/ |website=Animal Diversity Web |access-date=18 October 2019}} The Northern white-faced owl has a very different two-note call.
Distribution
Southern white-faced owls occur patchily in the western regions central and southern Africa, including Gabon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. They seem to be more common in regions such as Uganda, southern Kenya and Tanzania, as well as Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini and the northern regions of South Africa.
Habitat and diet
Nesting
Temperature adaptability
After the summer, southern white-faced owls increase their resting metabolic rate by approximately 45% to adjust to the climate changes. Furthermore, the owls do this to increase cold temperature tolerance which is unusual for these creatures. Not only that, but the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) of the owl is lower than what is expected of other birds of a similar size to help them when there is a lack of food. This is unusual considering the lack of food and other survival resources during the winter.
References
{{Reflist}}
- Sinclair, Ian & Ryan, Peter (2003) Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, Struik, Cape Town.
- World Owl Trust (2005) [https://web.archive.org/web/20071102211749/http://www.owls.org/Species/ptilopsis/southern_white_faced_owl.htm Southern White-faced Owl]. Accessed 19/09/07.
- Zimmerman, Dale A.; Turner, Donald A. & Pearson, David J. (1999) Birds of Kenya & Northern Tanzania, Christopher Helm, London.
External links
- [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/61781923 BirdLife species factsheet for Ptilopsis granti].
- (Southern) White-faced Owl - [http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/397.pdf Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds].
- {{Wikispecies-inline|Ptilopsis granti}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1271082}}