Gray Eagle Owl
| Gray Eagle Owl | ||||||||||
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Gray Eagle Owl ( Bubo cinerascens ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Bubo cinerascens | ||||||||||
| Guérin-Méneville , 1843 |
The gray eagle owl ( Bubo cinerascens ), also called Sprenkeluhu or Wellenuhu , is a species from the family of real owls. It occurs exclusively in Africa. The gray eagle owl was long considered a subspecies of the Fleckenuhus , but is treated as an independent species in more recent literature.
features
The gray owl is a relatively small species of eagle owl. He reaches a body length of about 43 centimeters and weighs about 500 grams. The plumage color is gray-brown. The feather ears are a little less noticeable than in the Fleckenuhu. The top of the body is very finely speckled. On the underside of the body, the plumage shows not only fine speckles but also fine transverse drawings. There are also some dark spots on the front chest. The eyes are dark brown.
Several other eagle owl species occur in the distribution area of the gray owl. The Fleckenuhu is very similar, but somewhat larger with longer feather ears and a more striated underside of the body. The Kapuhu is significantly larger and more powerfully built. He has orange-yellow eyes and the underside of the body is clearly spotted.
distribution and habitat
The gray eagle owl is found in sub-Saharan Africa. Its distribution area extends from Senegal , Gambia and Cameroon in an easterly direction to Ethiopia , Somalia , South Sudan , northern Kenya and northern Uganda . The species is a resident bird. During the hot season, however, it occasionally moves to higher altitudes to avoid the heat. Its habitat are rocky semi-deserts, open and semi-open savannas with thorn bushes and isolated trees, rocky mountain hills and open hilly landscapes. Its habitat is typically arid . He avoids dense forests and rainforests.
Way of life
The gray owl is predominantly active at night and at dawn. It transmits into crevices in the rock, in the foliage of trees or on the ground under bushes and between rocks. Its food spectrum includes larger insects and spiders, small mammals and birds, lizards and frogs. Reproductive biology has not yet been conclusively investigated. The shallow nesting trough is usually scratched directly on the ground and is located in protected places under a rock overhang or between larger stones. The clutch consists of two to three eggs. The breeding season and the time at which the young birds fledge are not yet known. Probably the reproductive biology is similar to that of the Fleckenuhus.
supporting documents
Single receipts
literature
- Claus König , Friedhelm Weick: Owls of the World . Christopher Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
