Cool Facts About The Spotted Eagle Owl

• Beautiful and majestic, the Spotted Eagle owls have brownish-gray plumage on their body in the form of a mottled, spotted pattern.
  
• With a body length between 43 and 47cm, a wingspan of roughly 120cm, and a weight between 480 and 850g, they are considerably smaller than the largest genus member, the Eurasian Eagle Owl, which can weigh over 4kg.
• Juveniles have similar coloration to the adults, but their patterning is less mottled.  Chicks are covered in gray down.
• Spotted Eagle Owls can be found throughout most of the African continent south of the Sahara Desert.  They live in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, scrub areas, open woodlands, semi- deserts, and human populated areas; however, they do avoid areas with dense forestation.

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

Unlike most birds, Spotted Eagle Owls are monogamous throughout their lifetimes and reach sexual maturity at one year of age.  The breeding season extends from July all the way until January or February.  Nests are very simple and often consist of hollowed out earth hidden either by a few rocks or underneath some brush.  Spotted Eagle Owls will also recycle nests built by other bird species and will occasionally nest on manmade structures. If Owls can recycle, then I don’t see why we can’t step up our efforts to be a little greener.

The Versatile Hunter

WHen they aren’t employing a rigorous recycling program, these Eagle Owls will be looking for food.  As you may have guessed, Spotted Eagle Owls are carnivores and consume a large variety of prey.  Insects constitute a large portion of their diet even though they do prey on small mammals, reptiles, and other birds.  Additionally, they have been found to feed upon crabs, scorpions, and bats.  Hunting mostly at dusk, the owls utilize a still hunting technique to catch their prey where they wait on a perch to observe and then snatch their prey in a single downward swoop. They also employ aerial hunting to catch flying prey and are capable of pursuing their targets for considerable distances.  On occasion, they may also consume carrion.  Overall, Spotted Eagle Owls are incredibly versatile hunters, both in what they eat and how they catch it.