Marsh Owl
Asio capensis
Fairly large, brown owl with tiny ear tufts. Found in marshes, cultivation, and grasslands, especially moist grasslands. Sometimes active well before dusk and well after dawn, especially on cloudy days. Not very vocal, but does give quiet creaking calls. Often found in similar habitats to Barn Owl, but much darker, especially on the back and chest. Generally silent in flight, whereas Barn Owl frequently gives loud screeches.
识别特征
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.
分类信息
- 学名
- Asio capensis
- 命名信息
- (Smith, A, 1834)
- 目
- Strigiformes
- 科
- Strigidae
- 属
- Asio
分布与栖息地
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.
- 迁徙
- Nomadic movement
保护状况
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.
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Black-browed Mountain Greenbul
Arizelocichla fusciceps
Medium-sized greenbul with a narrow, broken pale eye-ring. The back is olive-green and the head and underparts gray, with a faint black stripe above the eye. Found in and around montane forest. The song is a short series of barking and mewing notes. Similar to Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, but separated by lack of cheek striping. Also similar to Shelley’s Greenbul, but identified by gray rather than olive-green head.
Burnished-buff Tanager
Stilpnia cayana
A common tanager of savannas, forest borders, woodlands, and gardens. Often seen in pairs or with other species at fruiting trees, but usually not with mixed-species flocks. Males have a black face, throat, breast, and belly that is flanked by buffy sides. The crown and back are also buff and the wings and tail are dark-green. Females are buffy below with greenish back and wings, a pale throat, and a faint mask. The northern subspecies has a black mask (lacking the black throat and belly) with a violet gray throat and buffy belly.
Black-bellied Sunbird
Cinnyris nectarinioides
A slim, long-billed sunbird in which breeding males and females are very different. Breeding males are mostly dark iridescent green with a red band across the underparts. The red band is bordered by narrow yellow stripes in the southern part of the range. Females are plain, with gray-brown upperparts and pale underparts with dark streaking. Found in dry thorn savanna. Similar to Beautiful Sunbird, but breeding males are separated by the less extensive or absent yellow in their belly band, and females by being more streaked below. The common calls are quiet chips and “tip” notes, and the song is a high-pitched jumble typical of sunbirds.
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