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the eggs when water is at its peak or starting to fall, so that brood feeding coincides with low water and concentrated prey. The female does all incubation for around 32 days, while the male feeds her. If more than one egg is in the nest, hatching occurs at 5-day intervals. The second chick often disappears, probably due to starvation. At hatching, the chick weighs 60–70 g (2.1–2.5 oz), with their eyes opening 7 days later. Within 20 days, their weight increases to around 500 g (1.1 lb) and then balloons to around 1,400–1,700 g (3.1–3.7 lb) by the time they are 68 to 70 days old. The young remain in their parents' territory for 6 to 9 months after fledging and resemble the adult by around 10 months of age. At the first sight of danger to their offspring, both parents may engage in distraction displays. These consists of behaving as if injured, to draw the attention of potential predators, and penetrating screeches. Pel's fishing owls may attack
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during courtship. The flight and tail feathers are barred with lighter and darker feathers. The eyes are distinctly dark, often blackish in color. The two adult sexes are similar looking, but females are generally less rufous in color and have a more indistinct facial disc. Considerable variation exists in coloration and barring in adult birds, with some birds having extensive pale feathers with others having several blackish markings. Juveniles are more uniform
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459:). While perched over the water, these owls detect the movement of fish from ripples in the water and swoop down to seize their prey with their powerful talons and then swoop back to their perch for consumption. Unlike many other fish-eating birds, Pel's fishing owls rarely submerge themselves or get particularly wet while hunting. More uncommonly, this species forages by wading into shallow water along sandbanks.
55:
271:, and fourth-longest in mean wingspan, although not all large species have had measured wingspans. It measures 51–63 cm (20–25 in) in length, spans around 153 cm (60 in) across the wings and weighs up to at least 2.35 kg (5.2 lb). One male was found to weigh 1.72 kg (3.8 lb) and four females averaged 2.19 kg (4.8 lb), it may outrival the
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diurnal raptors that specialize in fish, they have spiky scales on the bottoms of their feet that help them grip slippery fish. Since hearing and auditory stealth is not important to its hunting techniques, this owl does not have strong hearing and does not have the soft edges to its flight feathers that most owls share, which makes them almost impossible to hear in flight.
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trees within larger rivers, swamps or lakes, so long as the islands are not too far from the bank. The species is largely residential and has no seasonal movement, although young, nonbreeding birds may wander somewhat before claiming their own territories. Pel's fishing owl may move outside of its own range in pursuit of prey.
511:) are perhaps the only predatory threat to this species, though encounters between the two large owls are likely very rare due to significantly different habitat preferences. Due to the relatively late stage at which the young become fully independent, Pel's fishing owls usually only breed in alternate years.
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Territories are claimed by hooting at the start of the breeding season. When prey selection is good, populations can be quite dense. At such bountiful times, territories are often quite small with the central activity of breeding pairs sometimes occurring within 300 m (980 ft) of each other. In
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The main prey of Pel's fishing owls is fish. They can take fish weighing as much as 2 kg (4.4 lb), but most fish caught are much smaller, usually weighing 100–200 g (3.5–7.1 oz). They are not picky eaters among fish species and any fish that is in a reasonable size range and found
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in an old, shady tree close to the water, quite often around where thick branches emerge from the trunk. The clutch size is typically one or two eggs, which average 62.5 mm × 52.1 mm (2.46 in × 2.05 in) in length and weigh around 85 g (3.0 oz). The female lays
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Pel's fishing owl is found in forests along rivers and lakes. It can be found in swamps and estuaries at sea level up to an elevation of around 1,700 m (5,600 ft). Its favorite habitat is riverine forests with large trees, although large numbers are also found on islands with large, old
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is 40.7–44.7 cm (16.0–17.6 in) and the tail is 20.7–24.3 cm (8.1–9.6 in) long. They are well adapted to their aquatic lifestyle. Unlike most owls, they have minimal feathering on their toes and the tarsi, thus minimizing the amount of plumage that gets wet while fishing. Like
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In general, this species is nocturnal and is most vocally active on moonlit nights, especially near dawn. However, they are sometimes seen to be active during the day, especially when prey is scarce. During the daytime, they usually roost on a large tree branch. Often, the male and female roost
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with dense dark bars to the upperparts and scaling to the underparts. The feathers around the head are loose and long, giving the head a shaggy appearance. The tarsi and toes are unfeathered and straw-colored. The white throat is often largely obscured, but can be puffed up in displaying birds
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Pel's fishing owls nest during the dry season, which has the benefit of lower, clearer water, thus more easily detectable fish. They are monogamous and territorial, claiming a stretch of river or lakeshore for themselves. All activity in the species occurs within striking distance of water.
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on fish and frogs snatched from the surface of lakes and rivers. The species prefers slow-moving rivers with large, overhanging trees to roost in and forage from. It nests in hollows and the forks of large trees. Though as many as two eggs are laid, often only one chick is raised.
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Pel's fishing owl ranges from locally rare and sporadic to quite common, depending on how ideal the local environment is. Due to the dependence on large waterways with abundant fish and mature trees, they are a highly sensitive to destruction of their habitat. Damming rivers,
325:. The calls of the male are repeated every 10 to 20 seconds and can be heard from up to 3 km (1.9 mi) away. While singing, the male's throat and breast are often highly inflated. The female's songs are similar, but are higher pitched and even in a double-note, i.e.
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populations. Even where the species occurs in protected areas, human activities upstream can still impact fish stocks and nesting trees. Overall, the species is widely distributed and populations currently appear to be stable. Thus, the species is classified as
552:. The species may come under pressure in Namibia in the future if, as predicted by climate change models, Namibia becomes drier and the growing human population increasingly relies on and impacts the region's river systems.
275:(only around 4% lighter on average in six datasets) as the fifth- or sixth-heaviest living owl on average. Under current classification, it is the heaviest extant owl outside of the genus
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Pel's fishing owl is one of the largest owl species in the world. Among the world's owls, it ranks as the fifth-heaviest on average, the seventh-longest in length and measured
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together. At dusk, they leave the roost and instead perch on stumps, branches, and other objects that extend over the water.
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The song of the male Pel's fishing owl is a deep, sonorous, horn-like boom, first a single and then a higher pitched
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Berry, PSM; Dowsett, RJ (2003). "Pel's
Fishing Owl,Scotopelia peli, preying on a small crocodile".
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by Konig, Weick & Becking. Yale
University Press (2009),
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234:, found in Africa. It lives near rivers and lakes, and feeds
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Pel’s fishing-owl videos, photos and facts – Scotopelia peli
503:) that come too close to their nests. The fish eagles and
994:
Birds to Watch in
Namibia: Red, Rare and Endemic Species
787:. Planet of Birds (2011-09-07). Retrieved on 2012-08-21.
743:
Owls (Strigiformes): annotated and illustrated checklist
658:
Birds to watch in
Namibia: red, rare and endemic species
996:. National Biodiversity Programme, Windhoek, Namibia.
983:. Biodiversityexplorer.org. Retrieved on 2012-08-21.
981:
Bubo lacteus (Verreaux's eagle-owl, Giant eagle owl)
667:. National Biodiversity Programme, Windhoek, Namibia
1329:
1029:
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Species text in The Atlas of
Southern African Birds
612:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22689032A130158217.en
861:. Third Edition. Marshall Cavendish, New York
329:. Females and young at the nest wail a shrill
247:The species' common and specific name honours
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911:del Hoyo, J; Elliot, A; Sargatal, J (1996).
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721:(2nd ed.). London: Christopher Helm.
53:
29:
20:
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880:Sasol Owls and Owling in Southern Africa
683:Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive
679:"Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology"
837:Owls of the World: A Photographic Guide
717:König, Claus; Weick, Friedhelm (2008).
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349:It is found throughout a large part of
1429:Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte
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992:Simmons, R.E. and Brown, C.J. (2006)
839:by Mikkola, H. Firefly Books (2012),
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878:Tarboton, W. and Erasmus, R. (2004)
823:Potapov, E., & Sale, R. (2013).
1419:Birds of prey of Sub-Saharan Africa
1409:IUCN Red List least concern species
858:International Wildlife Encyclopedia
827:. Poyser Monographs, A&C Black.
598:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
285:. Among standard measurements, the
914:Handbook of the Birds of the World
797:Dunning, John B. Jr., ed. (2008).
764:. ARKive. Retrieved on 2012-08-21.
656:Simmons RE & Brown CJ (2006).
471:A young bird near fledging age in
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855:Burton, M. and Burton, R. (2002)
800:CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses
293:Adults are colored a rich ginger-
528:may pose a further problem, and
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587:BirdLife International (2018).
1:
803:(2nd ed.). CRC Press.
345:Pel's fishing owl in Malawi
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685:. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions
251:, who was governor of the
960:10.2989/00306520309485380
605:: e.T22689032A130158217.
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1424:Birds described in 1850
677:Jobling, J. A. (2017).
259:) from 1840 till 1850.
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24:Pel's fishing owl
505:Verreaux's eagle-owls
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249:Hendrik Severinus Pel
1009:Pel's Fishing Owl –
882:. Struik, Cape Town
634:"Appendices | CITES"
485:Kruger National Park
457:Crocodylus niloticus
497:African fish eagles
45:Conservation status
783:2016-06-24 at the
774:Pels Fishing Owl (
760:2012-06-26 at the
741:Weick, F. (2007).
663:2016-03-03 at the
501:Haliaeetus vocifer
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389:and southwards to
351:sub-Saharan Africa
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1275:Open Tree of Life
1023:Taxon identifiers
810:978-1-4200-6444-5
719:Owls of the World
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672:
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641:. Retrieved
637:
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616:. Retrieved
602:
596:
590:
561:
518:
509:Bubo lacteus
508:
500:
489:
477:
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432:
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416:
407:
403:South Africa
371:Sierra Leone
348:
330:
326:
322:
319:whoommmm-wot
318:
314:
312:
308:fishing owls
292:
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216:
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198:
183:S. peli
182:
181:
169:
149:Strigiformes
18:
1210:iNaturalist
1055:Wikispecies
745:. Springer.
618:12 November
530:overfishing
375:South Sudan
263:Description
236:nocturnally
78:Appendix II
1414:Scotopelia
1403:Categories
1331:Strix peli
1314:Xeno-canto
888:1770070060
867:076147286X
643:2022-01-14
570:0300142277
556:References
447:and large
363:the Gambia
323:hooomm-hut
304:eagle-owls
287:wing chord
269:wing chord
170:Scotopelia
1346:Q24050733
919:Barcelona
638:cites.org
429:fish owls
413:Behaviour
273:snowy owl
232:Strigidae
208:Bonaparte
177:Species:
159:Strigidae
115:Kingdom:
109:Eukaryota
1340:Wikidata
1288:Species+
1254:22689032
1228:11170213
1124:22689032
1119:BirdLife
1108:BioLib:
1040:Wikidata
968:87854524
781:Archived
758:Archived
661:Archived
541:elephant
481:Botswana
473:Botswana
463:Breeding
399:Botswana
395:Zimbabwe
387:Tanzania
331:wheeoouu
327:hoot-oot
243:Taxonomy
155:Family:
129:Chordata
125:Phylum:
119:Animalia
105:Domain:
65:IUCN 3.1
1386:1063587
1373:9705628
1280:3595781
1267:2599434
1202:2497870
1176:1178312
1163:pefowl1
1137:pefowl1
1096:Avibase
1046:Q512097
948:Ostrich
548:by the
449:insects
445:mussels
379:Somalia
359:Senegal
355:Nigeria
165:Genus:
145:Order:
135:Class:
80: (
63: (
1306:212684
1241:555422
1184:EURING
1083:ARKive
966:
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807:
725:
568:
515:Status
391:Zambia
385:, and
367:Guinea
315:huhuhu
295:rufous
210:, 1850
38:Adult
1360:532JM
1301:WoRMS
1223:IRMNG
1215:19971
1189:34840
1158:eBird
1150:4VY2K
1111:22512
964:S2CID
538:large
441:crabs
437:frogs
383:Kenya
257:Ghana
255:(now
82:CITES
76:CITES
1381:ITIS
1368:GBIF
1293:8861
1262:NCBI
1249:IUCN
1236:ITIS
1197:GBIF
927:ISBN
884:ISBN
863:ISBN
841:ISBN
805:ISBN
723:ISBN
691:2017
620:2021
603:2018
566:ISBN
550:IUCN
433:Bubo
300:buff
283:Bubo
278:Bubo
139:Aves
1355:CoL
1171:EoL
1145:CoL
1132:BOW
1070:ADW
956:doi
607:doi
321:or
228:owl
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