Marsh Owl (Asio capensis) | Photos and ID

LCLeast ConcernOmnivore

GrasslandScrapeLarge · 334 g

Marsh Owl (Asio capensis), photo 7 — Photo: (c) Matthew Fainman, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Marsh Owl (Asio capensis), photo 8 — Photo: (c) i_c_riddell, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Marsh Owl (Asio capensis), photo 9 — Photo: (c) martin ingemansson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Marsh Owl (Asio capensis), photo 10 — Photo: (c) Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

ID tip

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.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Marsh Owl

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is July, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Marsh Owl

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 22 countries with regular records, and 2 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

South Africa Morocco Kenya Madagascar Zimbabwe Zambia Botswana Namibia Tanzania Mozambique Eswatini Angola Malawi Gabon Nigeria Rwanda Congo - Brazzaville Guinea Cameroon Lesotho Uganda Senegal

Recorded as a rare visitor in Congo - Kinshasa, Mali.

About the Marsh Owl

The marsh owl is a medium to large species of owl in the family Strigidae.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Stygian OwlAsio stygiusThe Stygian owl is 38 to 46 cm (15 to 18 in) long and weighs about 400 to 675 g (14 to 24 oz).

Jamaican OwlAsio grammicusThe Jamaican owl is 27 to 33 cm (11 to 13 in) long; one specimen of unstated sex weighed 335 g (11.8 oz).

Madagascar OwlAsio madagascariensisThe Madagascar owl is similar in appearance to the Holarctic long-eared owl in that it sits tall and at rest shows prominent ear tufts.

Side by side: Marsh Owl vs Striped Owl · Marsh Owl vs Stygian Owl

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