African Wood Owl

Overview

The African wood owl, also known as Woodford's owl, is a medium-sized bird of prey and arguably the most common forest owl in Africa. Classified as Strix woodfordii, it belongs to the family Strigidae and is considered to be of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Medium-sized owl with a rounded head, large dark eyes outlined by white eyebrows, and a prominent yellow beak.
• Overall rich brown plumage with paler underparts and a white belly marked with brown barring; juveniles appear paler rufous.
• Distinctive duet song involving rapid, clear hoots from the male answered by higher-pitched, leisurely hoots from the female, audible over 500 m.

Habitat

This species inhabits indigenous forests and woodlands across much of sub-Saharan Africa, extending from Senegal and The Gambia east to Ethiopia and south to South Africa. It also occupies riparian, coastal, and escarpment forests in Southern Africa and is occasionally found in plantations or well-wooded suburban areas.

Diet

Strictly nocturnal, the African wood owl forages for food at night by swooping from a perch. Its diet consists mostly of insects but also includes reptiles, small mammals, and other birds.

Did you know?

Daytime roosting in the canopy exposes these owls to predation by wild chimpanzees, which have been observed capturing, plucking, and playing with wood owls without consuming them.