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Home » Information » Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl in Uganda

Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl in Uganda

“Bubo lacteus”

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl is the largest African owl. It is sometimes called the Milky Eagle Owl because its color, and Giant Eagle Owl, for its size.

It is a member of the family Strigidae, very large and huge, powerful owl. It is a resident in the dry wooded savanna.

In Uganda, this bird is a native in the savanna woodlands of Murchison falls national park.

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl is the largest Africa eagle Owl with length 66-71 cm, Wingspan 143cm. the male weighs between 1615-1960g and female 2475 to 3115g.

Adults have pale grey-brown plumage, with fine white vermiculations. They have a white throat very visible when calling. Scapulars show white outer webs.

Flight feathers are dark, tail dusky brown, with broad pale grey bars. Facial disks are whitish grey-brown with broad dusky brown rim.

Ear tufts are grey-brown with fine pale vermiculations. The nasal bristles at base of the bill are black. Beak is light cream with blue grey cere.

Eyes are dusky brown, with visible bare deep pink eyelids. Feathered legs are whitish finely barred with grey. The feet are strong and pale brown.

Plumage between male and female in the same. But the size of the female is larger, about 13% than male.
Juvenile has grey brown down on body and head, with broad, dark bars.

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl gives far-carrying deep, nasal grunts voices often repeated “whuuc-whuuc-whuuc”. It can also be heard uttering deep, gruff grunts “hok hok – hok hok” repeatedly.

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl forages on numerous types of prey, like birds, game birds, ducks, crows and nestling herons, it can occasionally eat mammals like hedgehogs, hares, mongooses, small rodents. They can as well supplement on their food with frogs, beetles and crickets.

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl is a brooder parasite, it nests in abandoned nests of other species made with sticks, such as eagles, vultures, crows or Hammerkops. It can also nest on the top of huge nests of Sociable Weavers for example in the Kalahari.

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl pair breeds in a very large territory with density approximately 7000 hectares per pair.

Their breeding season is usually from March to September. 7.000 hectares, roughly the pair often can be spaced at an average interval of 9,5 km to 22 km along rivers. Pairs breed from their nesting territories all over the season.

A clutch of two large, round white eggs is laid in June, July or August. Incubation is done by only the female for about 38 days as the male does the feeding role for both.

Usually, the first chick to hatch survives especially when food is scarce. Bothe parents feed the first chick but at times both chicks survive.

Chicks leaves the nest before it can even fly at 9 weeks after hatching. Chicks remain with the parents for up to 3 months before fledging.

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