White-browed Owl

About the White-browed Owl

The white-browed owl (Athene superciliaris), also known as the white-browed hawk-owl or the Madagascar hawk-owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. The white-browed owl was formerly placed in the genus Ninox but recent genetic data has led to it being moved to the genus Athene.

The white-browed owl is a dumpy owl with a large, rounded head which does not have ear tufts. The adults have brown upperparts with white spotting on the crown, mantle and wing coverts and a grey-brown facial disc with bold white eyebrows and a buff chin. The underparts are buff, broadly barred with dark brown. The underwings, vent and legs are plain, pale buff and the tail is plain brown. The bill and cere are horn-coloured, the eyes are dark brown and legs and feet are pale yellow. The length is about 25 cm (9.8 in) and the wingspan is about 70 cm (28 in).

The song is a howling "woohoo" made at intervals, beginning quite hoarsely. Another call is a loud "kuang", louder and higher pitched at its start, which may be an aggression call. The white-browed owl is endemic to Madagascar where it is... Wikipedia →