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Photo: Jason Thompson · CC BY 2.0 · source ↗
Southern White-faced Owl
Witwanguil · Ptilopsis granti
A handsome grey owl with a striking white, black-rimmed face and glaring orange eyes. It favours acacia and thornveld, where it hunts insects, rodents and small birds at night. Famous for changing its body shape dramatically, slimming down or puffing up depending on the threat it faces.
Log your Southern White-faced Owl sighting — free →How to identify it
Grey owl with a white face bordered black, bright orange eyes and ear tufts; bigger than the Scops Owl.
Listen for its call
A fast, bubbling hoot that tumbles out: 'doo-doo-doo-hohoho'.
Where to see it in Kruger
Dry thornveld and open woodland, roosting in leafy trees by day and hunting small prey at night.
Did you know
When threatened by something big it makes itself tall and thin to look like a branch, but puffs up huge against smaller rivals.
Often confused with
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