Búho de Pantano

Identificación

Medium-sized, dark brown with a pumpkin-shaped head with small 'ear' tufts. The facial disc is pale buff, with a distinct dark brown rim with buff speckles. There is a dark brown area around the eyes, which are also dark brown. Its ear-tufts are earth-brown and quite small, often not visible, and set near the centre of the forehead. The tail is dark brown, barred pale buff with a whitish tip. Tarsi are feathered pale tawny-buff and toes are covered with pale buffish plumes, leaving the dark brown tips bare. Claws are blackish.<p>Males are generally paler than females, and there is some individual variation in tone. Length is 31–38 cm, wing length is 284–380mm, tail length is 132–186mm, and weight is 225–485g.

Taxonomía

Nombre científico

Asio capensis

Autoridad

(Smith, A, 1834)

Orden

Strigiformes

Familia

Strigidae

Género

Asio

Distribución y hábitat

The marsh owl has a fragmented distribution. They are common in the grasslands of southern Africa, occurring in the northern regions of South Africa down to the province of the Eastern Cape. They are also found in Zimbabwe on the Mashonaland plateau, and in the Makgadikgadi lacustrine depression in Botswana.<p>They have also been recorded on the floodplains on the Namibian coast and in isolated populations in Morocco and Madagascar. The marsh owl's habitat preference is open grassland, marshlands and short scrub, typically near marshy grounds, vleis or dams. Marsh owls prefer to nest on the ground and they have also been observed leaving certain areas during drought-stricken times. Their preferred habitat tends to be vulnerable to destruction due to agriculture or overgrazing.

Migración

Nomadic movement

Conservación

Marsh owls are not listed as vulnerable or endangered, but their population is on the decline mainly due to loss of habitat through urbanization. Marsh owls commonly breed during the winter months when veld fires occur. They nest on the ground in habitat that typically includes marshes, savannas and grasslands. Farmers burn veld to stimulate the regrowth of vegetation for grazing, to prevent the encroachment of unwanted plants and weeds and to control ticks. Although veld fires are necessary for maintaining the grassland’s ecosystem, it should be limited to a 5-year cycle instead of an annual event. Irresponsible burning of veld robs wildlife of habitat and in the case of marsh owls, it has a huge impact on their breeding and population.

Tendencia poblacional

stable