When an owl sees prey, it swoops down and pounces on it, either taking it back to the perch or to a flat area to eat. Eggs are laid in late winter to spring in southern Africa (August to October). I later learned from my friends that Hyenas were . Owls have large, powerful feet and sharp talons that they use to catch and kill their prey by crushing its skull or body. We also used 40 x 40mm brass screws and wood glue to assemble the owl nesting box, and an exterior marine-quality wood sealer. Tarboton, W. & Erasmus, R. 1998. The Spotted Eagle-Owl is found in a variety of habitats, including open scrub, grassland, savanna woodland, forest patches and forest edges, but not in evergreen forest or sandy deserts. The Spotted Eagle-Owl is the most common owl in southern Africa and is often spotted in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. That of the Spotted Eagle-Owl has fine barring, while the Cape Eagle-Owl has black and chestnut blotching. They have very large eyes and excellent vision, and are able to see at night. Step 1: Start by tracing the six panels – four walls, the roof and floor – of the construction onto the planks. They can become aggressive and attack to defend their nest, flying at people and/or dogs and scratching them with their talons. The owl box will be exposed to the elements. Step 6: All that remained was to mount the box outside. The name was probably derived from the owl’s call ‘uhu’ and is an ancient name that was borrowed into many languages. The conspicuous ear tufts of eagle-owls give them their characteristic silhouette, but have nothing to do with the owl’s hearing. Domestic dogs and cats are known to kill chicks. Owls have forward-facing eyes and binocular vision, but this also means that they have a narrow field of vision, and to overcome this, owls have evolved a very flexible neck that can twist around to 270 degrees. Succulent Karoo Programme
The surest way to distinguish these two owls is to look at their breasts.
Owls and Owling in southern Africa. The Kirstenbosch pair raises two chicks every year, but occasionally there has been only one. Spotted Eagle-Owls are very difficult to detect during the day. The food passes directly to the stomach where it is digested and the indigestible portion is compacted into a pellet. Do not attempt to lure owls to the site with food; this will only encourage other animals and deter the owl. A power screwdriver makes light work of assembly. They are also able to fly quite slowly. Many owls will make use of an artificial nest box such as African wood owls, scops owls and pearl-spotted owlets. If you have heard Barn Owls or Spotted Eagle-Owls on your property at night, and if there is suitable habitat nearby, you may be able to attract them to nest in a suitably constructed nest box. The Spotted Eagle-Owl is not threatened and is common and widespread. It’s worthwhile spending a little extra on a good wood sealer and making sure you have three good coats on the wood. ); ifubesi, isihulu-hulu (Xhosa); isiKhovampondo (Zulu); makhohlo, morubisi, sehihi, sephooko (South Sotho); sikhova (Swazi); xiyinha (Tsonga); makgotlwê, mophoê, morubise (Tswana). Accessed 11 September 2014. Chicks are killed by domestic dogs and cats, and owls are killed or hurt by people that fear them or use their body parts in traditional medicine. The female rarely leaves the nest during the first two weeks, with the male owl providing all the food. Their only real predator is the Martial Eagle and mankind. They rarely raise more than one brood. This owl nesting box has a slanted roof and a floor that incorporates an extended landing and perch platform. This gives them the ability to fly silently, allowing them to ambush unsuspecting prey, and also to be able to hear while flying in pursuit of the prey. After they have left the nest, the chicks remain in the vicinity of the nest site and their parents continue to feed them until they can fend for themselves. Accessed 12 Sep 2014. Email: safeguards@sanbi.org.za, Interests
Where Spotted Eagle-Owls find a successful nesting spot, they typically use that same site year after year, sometimes for decades. Many owls will make use of an artificial nest box such as African wood owls, scops owls and pearl-spotted owlets. The female lays two to four eggs and does the incubation, leaving the nest only to eat what the male ha… If there are no owls in your neighbourhood, it may be because the habitat is unsuitable, or because there are no suitable nest sites for them. the culprits, but that is how things are in the wild. Biodiversity Explorer, http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/strigidae/bubo_africanus.htm. Step 3: Assemble the components with the glue, which acts as added waterproofing in the joints, and screws. They hunt at dusk and at night, rarely during the day. Eggs hatch after 32–34 days. Owls don’t have a crop. They will roost in spaces that are protected and weatherproof, and can generally be found in old warehouses, hollow trees, caves and even mine shafts. They are also believed to have magical powers, and in some places, they are killed and used to make traditional potions in the belief that some of the owl’s ‘magic’ will be transferred to the person using the potion. Owl Identification and Behaviour: Each side, except for two, is a different shape. Conservation status and what the future holds. Have a clear flight-path to the nest. Gevlekte ooruil (Afr. Sinclair, I., Hockey, P. & Tarboton, W. 2002. If you ever see one bob its head up and down or from side-to-side while looking at you, it is trying to get a clearer, three-dimensional picture of you. They usually make their nest on the ground but have been known to nest on man-made structures such as window ledges of buildings or in Owl Houses. They fly into strands of barbed wire on fences. This nest has been built in a potted plant on the camera owners balcony. To provide additional weatherproofing to the roof, we cut a sheet slightly larger than the roof measurements from a waste sheet of galvanised sheeting. Owls aren’t just beautiful creatures to have around - they can also keep garden pests at bay. They are able to fly and catch their own prey when they are seven weeks old. This project requires very basic tools: A square, bevel square, drill, power screwdriver, paintbrush, hammer (not essential) and skill saw. Step 2: We found a Skil saw the most ideal for cutting them out. Their wing feathers are well grown, their tail feathers are about half the final length and there is still some down on their underparts and heads. People kill owls out of fear, or for superstitious reasons, or accidentally hit them with cars. The Spotted Eagle-Owl and all species in the Strigiformes, except the few that are on Appendix 1, are listed on CITES Appendix 2. International trade, with or without the exchange of money, in these species is controlled and export permits are required. Breeding begins typically towards the end of July continuing to the first weeks of February. They will also aggressively defend their nest and chicks. The area below a nesting box will become dirty, so place it in a quiet area, ideally on the shaded side of a large tree or building, away from your main living areas. Newly hatched chicks are covered in white down. We made a few alternations on ours for easier construction and lower maintenance. Place an owl nest box at least 4 metres high in a tree or on the side of a building in a secluded area, but be sure the opening is shaded from the sun and wind. If you’re keen to attract owls to your property, one way that is sure to encourage them is to build an adequate refuge nearby. Nesting Spotted Eagle-Owl Wild South Africa. Also avoid using poisons in your garden, to kill rats for example, as they might also end up poisoning your owls.