Bandage fish owl
| Bandage fish owl | ||||||||||
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Swordfish owl ( Scotopelia peli ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Scotopelia peli | ||||||||||
| Bonaparte , 1850 |
The conjugated fish owl ( Scotopelia peli , Syn .: Bubo peli ), also called Pel fish owl, is a species from the family of real owls. It occurs exclusively in Africa.
features
The conjugated fish owl is a relatively large species of owl and reaches a body size of 51 to 61 centimeters. The plumage is reddish brown, on the upper side slightly striped and spotted with gray. The underside is a little paler than the top, the gray stripes are a little more pronounced. The species has no feather ears, which distinguishes it from numerous other eagle owls. The legs and toes are not feathered. The claws are very strong.
It can be confused with the red-backed fish owl , which is, however, significantly smaller and whose plumage is more reddish-brown. The marble fish owl is also smaller than the conjugate fish owl.
The mesoptile (nestling dress) of the young birds is whitish. They then moult first into a plumage that resembles the adult birds on the back, but is paler. The underside of the body is also initially very light because it still lacks the characteristic drawing of the adult birds.
distribution and habitat
The range of the conjugated fish owl is disjoint. It occurs sporadically in Mali and Nigeria, Senegal, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Ghana. Their largest distribution area is in Central Africa and extends from the coast in the east to the east of the Congo. Isolated populations can also be found in Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana and in eastern South Africa.
It inhabits forests along rivers and lakes as well as swamps. It occurs from river mouths up to altitudes of 1,700 meters above sea level.
Way of life
The conjugated fish owl is a crepuscular and nocturnal species of owl. It is particularly fond of shouting on moonlit nights and can be heard especially at dawn. Only when food is scarce can they be seen hunting during the day. It usually spills over into the treetops. Couples usually sit very close together.
The food spectrum includes fish weighing up to two kilograms. However, most of the fish this species of eagle owl catches weigh between 100 and 200 grams. The food spectrum also includes frogs, crabs and mussels.
The breeding season falls in the dry season, when the water is shallower and clearer and they can better spot their prey. She indicates her territory by shouting intensely. Tree holes are mostly used as nesting opportunities. She prefers trees that are close to water. The clutch consists of one or two eggs. The female breeds alone and is supplied with prey by the male. The breeding season is about 32 days; the hatching interval between the young is up to five days, which suggests that the female starts brooding when the first egg is deposited. Usually only the older nesting sibling grows up. Young birds fledge at around 68 to 70 days, but stay in the parent bird's territory for a further six to nine months.
literature
- Claus König , Friedhelm Weick: Owls of the World . Christopher Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
Single receipts
- ↑ König et al., P. 358
Web links
- Scotopelia peli inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- Spotted fish owl · Scotopelia peli Distribution on xeno-canto.org