African Wood Owl

Bosuil · Strix woodfordii

A medium-sized, dark-eyed brown owl of forest and riverine woodland. It hunts insects, small mammals and birds from a perch beneath the canopy. Pairs are highly vocal, duetting with a rhythmic hooting that carries through the trees, making them easier to hear than to see.

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How to identify it

Round-headed brown owl with dark eyes and no ear tufts, finely barred below; eyes are dark, not yellow.

Listen for its call

A bouncy hoot like 'Who's awake? Me too!' from riverine forest.

Where to see it in Kruger

Riverine forest and dense woodland, roosting by day in leafy cover and calling soon after dark.

Did you know

Pairs often duet at night, calling back and forth with a hooting 'who-are-you'.

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