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Description
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Medium
to large greyish brown owl with dark eyes. Finely
vermiculated above and densely so below with barring.
Birds from Chad may represent a pale morph.
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Size
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43cm,
500g
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Range
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Sub-Saharan
Africa to the equator.
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Habitat
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Savannah,
mountain slopes, semi-desert, hillsides and thorn scrub.
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Food
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Invertebrates,
small mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs.
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Breeding
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November
to May in most areas. 2-3 eggs in sheltered scrape on the
ground.
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Call
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Calls
have not been differentiated from B.africanus, although
song recorded in Mali is described as disyllabic "kuo-wooh"
and is different from that of B.africanus. However both
species have been observed calling to each other in
captivity.
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Status
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Not
globally threatened, not common in most of its range with
a few exceptions.
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Comments
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Also
known as the Greyish Eagle Owl or by its old name the
Abyssinian Eagle Owl this bird was formerly classed as a
race of B.africanus, but it is morphologically distinct
and there is no evidence of interbreeding where ranges
overlap. The WORLD OWL TRUST is currently collecting
samples for DNA analysis, and studying the vocalisations
of captives birds of both species to elucidate the
taxonomy of these owls.
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Races
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Monotypic.
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