Greyish Eagle-owl
Encyclopedia
The Greyish Eagle-Owl or Vermiculated Eagle-owl, Bubo cinerascens, is a rather large owl of Africa
.
It is closely related to the Spotted Eagle-Owl, of which is it sometimes considered the northern subspecies, B. africanus cinerascens.
It is found in the northern part of sub-Saharan Africa from Mauretania
and Liberia
east to Sudan
and Somalia
. Its habitats include dry rocky deserts and open savannah, as well as lowland forests in Somalia.
This species is about 43 cm (17 inches) long and weighs about 500 g (1.1 lb). Like the Spotted Eagle-Owl, the Greyish Eagle-Owl has mottled dark brown, buff, and white upperparts and finely barred (vermiculated) underparts giving a greyish-brown appearance. It differs from the Spotted Eagle-Owl in having dark brown (not yellow) eyes and a brownish facial disk marked with a heavy brown circle around each eye. It also has morphological differences, such as being lighter though about the same length and having shorter tarsi. In the area of overlap, the Spotted Eagle-Owl and the present species are not known to interbreed.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
It is closely related to the Spotted Eagle-Owl, of which is it sometimes considered the northern subspecies, B. africanus cinerascens.
It is found in the northern part of sub-Saharan Africa from Mauretania
Mauretania
Mauretania is a part of the historical Ancient Libyan land in North Africa. It corresponds to present day Morocco and a part of western Algeria...
and Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
east to Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. Its habitats include dry rocky deserts and open savannah, as well as lowland forests in Somalia.
This species is about 43 cm (17 inches) long and weighs about 500 g (1.1 lb). Like the Spotted Eagle-Owl, the Greyish Eagle-Owl has mottled dark brown, buff, and white upperparts and finely barred (vermiculated) underparts giving a greyish-brown appearance. It differs from the Spotted Eagle-Owl in having dark brown (not yellow) eyes and a brownish facial disk marked with a heavy brown circle around each eye. It also has morphological differences, such as being lighter though about the same length and having shorter tarsi. In the area of overlap, the Spotted Eagle-Owl and the present species are not known to interbreed.
External links
- Videos of the Greyish Eagle-Owl from the Internet Bird Collection