Though the southern white-faced owl (𝘗𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪) is a fairly small owl (around 24 cm tall), they are certainly very striking with their greyscale coat and compelling orange eyes. They are native to central and southern Africa and are most commonly found in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and north-eastern South Africa. They occupy a range of habitats, such as savannah (with tree cover) and thorny shrub land, and they predate on various small animals including small birds, rodents, insects, and reptiles.
These owls tend to hunt from a perch, such as a tree branch or rocky outcrop. After identifying their prey, they silently swoop down to catch it and then land on a new perch to consume it. On the other hand, when feeling threatened - for example, by large predatory birds - their defensive response ranges from staying still and camouflaged to making themselves look bigger and more formidable. To effectively blend into the background, these owls flatten down their feathers (making their bodies look rather elongated) and half-close their eyes to resemble a tree stump. In other circumstances, they respond by fluffing out their plumage and spreading their wings in an effort to make themselves appear bigger and more intimidating.
I unexpectedly came face to face with two of these owls when I was observing a troop of vervet monkeys feeding in a tree. I didn’t notice the owls at first - they blended perfectly into the acacia bark and cloudy sky - however, as I scanned the tree while identifying the monkeys, I found my gaze suddenly locked on to a pair of striking orange eyes.
Interestingly, the monkeys and owls appeared to be undeterred by each other’s presence. Perhaps an explanation can be found when considering the owls’ body size - too big for the monkeys to predate on, but too small for them to predate on the monkeys.
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