Northern White-faced Owl
Ptilopsis leucotis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderStrigiformes (Owls)
- FamilyStrigidae (Typical Owls)
- GenusPtilopsis (White-faced Owls)
- SpeciesPtilopsis leucotis (Northern White-faced Owl)
About the Northern White-faced Owl
The northern white-faced owl (Ptilopsis leucotis) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. The southern white-faced owl (P. granti) was formerly included in this species and the two were known as the white-faced scops-owl.
It is found in a band across Africa between the Sahara and the Equator. It occurs in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo and Uganda.
This owl has a rather notable defense mechanism. When faced with a similar-sized predator (like another owl slightly larger than it), the bird flares its wings to appear larger. When faced with something much larger than itself (such as an eagle), it pulls its feathers inwards, elongates its body, and narrows its eyes to thin slits. It is thought that it uses this ability to camouflage itself, and it shares the ability with relatives like the African scops owl.
Many different types of owls have some ability to adopt a "concealing posture", also known by the German word Tarnstellung... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Northern White-faced Owl in Samburu National Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Samburu National Reserve
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niokolo-Koba National Park | 🇸🇳 Senegal | |
| 2 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 5 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Northern White-faced Owl in Samburu National Reserve?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern White-faced Owl sighting in Samburu National Reserve, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern White-faced Owl in Samburu National Reserve?
November has the highest sighting rate for Northern White-faced Owl in Samburu National Reserve in our monthly data.