Bird Album
Marsh Owl
Asio capensis (Smith, A, 1834)
334 gWeight
The marsh owl (Asio capensis) is a medium to large species of owl in the family Strigidae.
Busiest months: June and November · Most records: South Africa, Morocco, Kenya
Where and when it's recorded
Marsh Owl has been recorded at 146 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 21 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa190 records
- Merja Zerga – domaine généralMorocco173 records
- Rietvlei NRSouth Africa126 records
More places
- Nairobi NPKenya85 records
- Benfontein NRSouth Africa72 records
- Zaagkuildrift RdSouth Africa67 records
- Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa61 records
- Macaneta – Wetland, dune forests and coastMozambique55 records
- Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa37 records
- PN Sidi BoughabaMorocco34 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The marsh owl (Asio capensis) is a medium to large species of owl in the family Strigidae.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Marsh Owl?
The Marsh Owl weighs around 334 g.
Where does the Marsh Owl live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Morocco and Kenya.
When is the best time to see the Marsh Owl?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in June and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Marsh Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Marsh Owl as Least Concern.
What does the Marsh Owl eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Marsh Owl in?
It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 334 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Varied
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 283 mm
- Tail
- 141 mm
- Bill
- 28 mm
- Tarsus
- 51 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Owls Strigidae
- Genus
- Asio
Other birds in the genus Asio
Jamaican OwlAsio grammicus
Striped OwlAsio clamator
Long-eared OwlAsio otus
Abyssinian OwlAsio abyssinicus
Madagascar OwlAsio madagascariensis
Stygian OwlAsio stygius
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Fearful OwlAsio solomonensis
Papuan Hawk-OwlUroglaux dimorpha
Rufous OwlNinox rufa
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by B Pulman005. ↗
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