Conservation Status: Least Concern
Distribution: Central and southern Africa
Habitat: Dry, open woodlands, forest edges and savannahs
Diet: Large insects, spiders, scorpions, small birds, reptiles and small mammals
Size (head to tail): 22-24cm (8.7-9.4in)
Weight: 185-275g (0.4-0.6lbs)
Activity Cycle: Crepuscular
Threats: Mainly predation from other owls and birds of prey

The Southern White faced Owl is a small species of owl, characterised by its distinctive white face framed by a border of black plumage and bright orange eyes. The rest of its body is mottled grey all over with a large white front, comparatively different to its northern white-faced cousin, who are noticeable browner. When feeling threatened, it can either condense its feathers and pull its body taller, so as to appear tree-like and blend into the surrounding bark hoping to go unnoticed; or it can create the illusion of being much larger and aggressive by opening its wings, creating a 'semi-circle' around its body and fluffing out their feathers to increase their size!

Did you Know? It was once known as the white-faced scops owl together with the northern white-faced owl, but they have since been split into two distinct species and separated from the Scops owl family entirely. They each occur separately in the south and north of Africa, respectively.

Our Southern White Faced Owl is named Mufasa!

Download our fact file to find out more!