Not sure what type of owl this is. Any idea?
this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2025
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For owls that are superb.
US Wild Animal Rescue Database: Animal Help Now
International Wildlife Rescues: RescueShelter.com
Australia Rescue Help: WIRES
Germany-Austria-Switzerland-Italy Wild Bird Rescue: wildvogelhilfe.org
If you find an injured owl:
Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.
Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.
Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.
If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.
For more detailed help, see the OwlPages Rescue page.
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Most likely a Spotted Eagle Owl.
These guys drive me a little nuts out of context, even moreso than the dozens of Scops types. Many look close to our Screech Owls, but there's usually at least something peculiar about them that will get me to take a deeper look. Spotted Eagles though are so close to Great Horned Owls found in colder North American climates though, I really struggle to tell them apart without a location given.
They are the most common owl is sub-Saharan Africa, so if I see a GHO but hear southern Africa, then it's almost def a SEO.
The Cape Eagle Owl is the closest in looks, and I actually found this guide to telling them apart using photos from this facility! The yellow eyes and clearer barring of the chest seem to confirm Spotted.
Milky Eagle looks veeeery different, Mackinder's Eagle Owl looks more like the Cape than the Spotted, Pharoah Eagle is north African and looks much more desert-y.
Spotted:
Great Horned (Canada):
Cape:
Milky:
Mackinder:
Pharoah:
Wow, fantastic post, thank you!
I was just going to post the first plc and link, but I was all, you talked about x, y, and z, but you're the only one that knows what they look like without reference, so I was left with no choice! 😜
I'm fairly week on African owl knowledge, so it helps me out too.
Me too, I rarely see them (in the wild) but hear them quite often. I know their sounds better than their looks.