Southern White-faced Owl
Southern White-faced OwlSouthern White-faced OwlSouthern White-faced Owl

Southern White-faced Owl

Ptilopsis granti

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
at Masai Mara National Reserve
2 Verified sightings at Masai Mara National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
358 Verified sightings across all 25 parks From 2019 to 2026
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

About the Southern White-faced Owl

The Southern white-faced owl (Ptilopsis granti) is a fairly small owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to the southern half of Africa. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the northern white-faced owl (P. leucopsis) but the two are now commonly treated as separate species.

It is 22–28 cm (8.7–11.0 in) long and weighs 185–220 g (6.5–7.8 oz). The upperparts are grey with dark streaks and there are white spots on the scapular feathers. The underparts are whitish with dark streaks. The face is white with a black border and black around the large orange eyes. The head has two short ear-tufts with black tips. Juvenile birds have a greyish face. The northern white-faced owl is usually paler and browner with reduced streaking below.

Their call is a series of fast, bubbling hoots, uttered at night and frequently repeated. These fast, staccato notes followed by a longer and higher-pitched 'hoot' are extensively used during breeding season and pairs of owls often sing together. The Northern white-faced owl has a very different two-note call.

Southern white-faced owls occur patchily in the western regions central and southern Africa, including Gabon... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Masai Mara National Reserve

Verreaux's Eagle-Owl
LC

Verreaux's Eagle-Owl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bubo lacteus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Pearl-spotted Owlet
LC

Pearl-spotted Owlet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Glaucidium perlatum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Marsh Owl
LC

Marsh Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Asio capensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Spotted Eagle-Owl
LC

Spotted Eagle-Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Bubo africanus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
African Scops-Owl
LC

African Scops-Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Otus senegalensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
African Wood-Owl
LC

African Wood-Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Strix woodfordii

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Common Barn-Owl
LC

Common Barn-Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Tyto alba

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
2 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
3 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
4 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
5 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
6 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
7 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
8 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
9 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
10 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
11 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
12 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
13 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
14 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
15 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
16 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
Insufficient data
17 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
18 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
19 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
20 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
21 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
22 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
23 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
24 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
25 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
← Back to Masai Mara National Reserve