Cape eagle-owl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cape eagle-owl |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Bubo
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| Species: |
capensis
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The Cape eagle-owl (Bubo capensis) is a large type of owl found in Africa. It belongs to a group of big owls called Bubo, also known as eagle-owls.
Contents
Where Do Cape Eagle-Owls Live?
These owls live in the southern parts of southern Africa and some areas of East Africa. They prefer places with mountains or hills.
What Kind of Home Do They Like?
Cape eagle-owls mostly live in rocky, mountainous areas. They find safe spots to rest during the day, like sheltered rock ledges or caves. You might also find them in nearby forests, grasslands, or wooded valleys. They can live from sea level all the way up to 2,500 meters (about 8,200 feet) high! Sometimes, these owls even visit towns, especially to hunt for pigeons.
What Do Cape Eagle-Owls Look Like?
This is a big owl, but it's not the largest among the Bubo owls. It can be about 46 to 61 centimeters (18 to 24 inches) long. Male owls weigh around 905 to 1387 grams (2 to 3 pounds), while the females are larger, weighing from 1240 to 1800 grams (2.7 to 4 pounds).
Cape eagle-owls are dark brown on their backs. They have clear ear-tufts on their heads and bright yellow or yellowish-orange eyes. Their chests are lighter with white, black, and brownish-orange markings. Their faces are brownish with a dark border that gets wider towards their necks. Both their tail and wing feathers have light and dark brown stripes. Their legs and feet are covered in thick feathers.
What Do Cape Eagle-Owls Sound Like?
The male Cape eagle-owl makes a loud, strong hoot, followed by a softer sound: boowh-hu. The female's call is similar but a bit higher. Sometimes, a pair will sing together. When a male is trying to attract a female, he makes a three-part sound, cu-coo-cu, and bows to her. Young owls and females asking for food make a long, nasal chrrreeh sound. Females also make soft clucking sounds when feeding their babies. If they feel threatened, both male and female owls will make a barking sound: wack wack wack....
Different Types of Cape Eagle-Owls
There are three main types, or subspecies, of the Cape eagle-owl:
- The Cape eagle-owl (B. c. capensis) lives in the southern half of southern Africa. This is the smallest type.
- Mackinder's eagle-owl (B. c. mackinderi) is found from southern Kenya down to the northern part of southern Africa. This is the biggest type and is sometimes thought of as its own species. It has more of a brownish-orange color.
- The Abyssinian eagle-owl (B. c. dilloni) lives in southern Eritrea and the highlands of Ethiopia. This type is usually a richer brown color and has clearer stripes on its sides and chest.
How Do Cape Eagle-Owls Behave?
Cape eagle-owls are active at night (nocturnal). During the day, they rest (roost) among rocks, on sheltered ledges, in deep rock cracks, or in caves. They might also roost in trees or even on the ground hidden in thick bushes. It's rare, but they have been seen resting in cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria. Often, a male and female owl will roost together, especially before they start breeding.
What Do They Eat?
These owls mainly hunt and eat mammals. Their prey can be as small as shrews and tiny rodents, or as large as hyraxes, which can weigh more than the owl itself! They also eat other birds, like francolins and hamerkops. Sometimes, they will also hunt reptiles, frogs, scorpions, crabs, and large insects. Mole rats are a favorite food in some areas. A pair of owls with chicks needs about 600 to 750 grams (1.3 to 1.6 pounds) of food each night. They hunt by watching from a high spot, then gliding down to catch their prey with their strong talons or beak.
Family Life and Nests
Cape eagle-owls are very protective of their territory. The male owl calls to mark his area. During courtship, the male bows and hoots in front of the female.
Their nest is usually a shallow dip on a sheltered rock ledge, in a rock crack, inside a cave, or even on the ground under a thick bush. Sometimes, they use large stick nests built by other birds or the tops of big bushes.
Female owls usually lay two (sometimes one or three) white eggs. The eggs are about 5.2 to 5.7 centimeters (2 to 2.2 inches) long and weigh about 62 grams (2.2 ounces). The female sits on the eggs for 34 to 38 days, while the male brings her food. The chicks hatch a few days apart.
When they are born, chicks weigh about 42 to 51 grams (1.5 to 1.8 ounces). By 20 days old, they weigh around 500 grams (1.1 pounds), and by 40 days, they are almost adult size. The mother owl stays with the chicks, feeding them small pieces of meat brought by the male. At about 11 to 13 days old, the chicks start to grow soft, buff-colored feathers. Even if there's plenty of food, often the smaller, second chick might not survive.
By 17 days, the mother starts leaving the nest more often but still stays close. By 3 to 4 weeks, she stops coming to the nest but still roosts with her young. If the nest site allows, the young owls start walking away from the nest around 45 days old. They can fly well by 70 to 77 days old. The young owls stay with their parents for about 6 months and can have their own babies the next year.
Are Cape Eagle-Owls Safe?
The Cape eagle-owl is listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN. This means their numbers are stable, and they are not currently at high risk of disappearing. They are common in places like the Mau Plateau in Kenya, but might be rare in other areas. About 50-60% of their nesting attempts are successful.
However, some nests (especially those on the ground) can be found by predators. Owls also sometimes get hit by cars or fly into power lines and barbed wire. The use of chemicals to kill rodents might also affect these owls, as they eat rodents.
Images for kids
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A Cape eagle-owl perched.
