Vermiculated fishing owl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vermiculated fishing owl |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Scotopelia |
| Species: |
S. bouvieri
|
| Binomial name | |
| Scotopelia bouvieri Sharpe, 1875
|
|
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The vermiculated fishing owl (Scotopelia bouvieri) is a special type of owl. It belongs to the Strigidae family, which includes most owls. This owl is found in river forests across parts of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria. A British scientist named Richard Bowdler Sharpe first described this owl in 1875. He named it after a French scientist, Eugène Louis Bouvier.
Contents
What Does the Vermiculated Fishing Owl Look Like?
This is a large owl, growing to about 46 to 51 centimeters long. It doesn't have ear tufts, which many owls do. Its face is a light reddish-brown with a slightly darker edge. The owl has dark brown eyes and a yellowish-brown beak with a darker tip.
The top of its head has dark brown streaks. Its back and upper parts are cinnamon-brown with many fine, wavy dark brown lines. Some feathers on its shoulders have white edges, making a light stripe. Its wing and tail feathers have stripes. The owl's belly is whitish with many dark stripes. Its thighs and the feathers under its wings and tail are whitish and plain. The owl has yellow legs and feet that are not feathered. This helps it when it's fishing!
Where Does the Vermiculated Fishing Owl Live?
The vermiculated fishing owl lives in a large area of tropical west-central Africa. This area stretches from southern Nigeria in the west to South Sudan in the east. It also goes south to northern Angola. This bird does not migrate, meaning it stays in the same area all year.
It likes to live in gallery forests. These are forests that grow along rivers that are at least 10 meters wide. It also lives near pools and flooded areas in forests. Sometimes, it can be found a little distance away from water.
How Does the Vermiculated Fishing Owl Behave?
The vermiculated fishing owl is active at night. It hunts for food from a low branch next to a large river. It quickly snatches fish from the water. It also eats frogs, crabs, small mammals, and other birds. In some places, crabs are its most common food. During the day, it rests in a tree near a river. In southern Nigeria, it especially likes to eat Clarias catfish. These fish have simple lungs and come to the surface to breathe, making them easier to catch.
Voice of the Vermiculated Fishing Owl
This owl makes a low, croaking hoot. After the hoot, it makes four to eight short, sharp notes. Often, a pair of owls will sing together. Since these owls are quite common, you might hear several pairs calling from the same place.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The breeding season for these owls starts in May and can last until October or even later. During courtship, the male and female owls call to each other a lot. They might use a large stick nest that was already built by another bird. Not much is known about how these owls raise their young. However, it is probably similar to how the Pel's fishing owl (Scotopelia peli) breeds. The young owls take a long time to grow up.
Is the Vermiculated Fishing Owl Safe?
The vermiculated fishing owl lives across a very large area in tropical west-central Africa. This area is about 3,333,000 square kilometers. Within this huge range, the owl seems fairly common. The number of these owls also appears to be stable. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says its conservation status is "least concern". This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
 | Charles R. Drew |
 | Benjamin Banneker |
 | Jane C. Wright |
 | Roger Arliner Young |
