Pel's Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli)
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Pel's Fishing Owl

Scotopelia peli Bonaparte, 1850

1.9 kgWeight

Pel's fishing owl (Scotopelia peli) is a large species of owl in the family Strigidae, found in Africa.

Busiest months: September–November · Most records: Botswana, Zambia, South Africa

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Pel's Fishing Owl has been recorded at 79 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 19 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Okavango Delta – Xaro LodgeBotswana195 records
  2. Drotsky's CabinsBotswana150 records
  3. Okavango Delta – Shakawe River LodgeBotswana91 records
More places
  1. Campement de WassadouSenegal62 records
  2. Liwonde National Park – MvuuMalawi48 records
  3. Kasanka NPZambia41 records
  4. South Luangwa NPZambia36 records
  5. Liwonde National ParkMalawi28 records
  6. Nxamaseri Island LodgeBotswana28 records
  7. South Luangwa NP – Mfuwe LodgeZambia24 records

Countries and regions with the most records

BotswanaZambiaSouth AfricaMalawiSenegalNamibiaKenyaCameroon

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

Pel's fishing owl (Scotopelia peli) is a large species of owl in the family Strigidae, found in Africa. It lives near rivers and lakes, and feeds nocturnally on fish and frogs snatched from the surface of lakes and rivers. The species prefers slow-moving rivers with large, overhanging trees to roost in and forage from.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Pel's Fishing Owl?

The Pel's Fishing Owl weighs around 1.9 kg.

Where does the Pel's Fishing Owl live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread south of the Sahara. It is most often recorded in Botswana, Zambia and South Africa.

When is the best time to see the Pel's Fishing Owl?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Pel's Fishing Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Pel's Fishing Owl as Least Concern.

What does the Pel's Fishing Owl eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Pel's Fishing Owl in?

It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.

At a glance

Weight
1.9 kg
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
403 mm
Tail
217 mm
Bill
54 mm
Tarsus
71 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: widespread south of the Sahara

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Owls Strigidae
Genus
Scotopelia

Other birds in the genus Scotopelia

Rufous Fishing OwlRufous Fishing OwlScotopelia ussheriVermiculated Fishing OwlVermiculated Fishing OwlScotopelia bouvieriPapuan Hawk-OwlPapuan Hawk-OwlUroglaux dimorphaRufous OwlRufous OwlNinox rufaPowerful OwlPowerful OwlNinox strenuaBarking OwlBarking OwlNinox connivensSumba BoobookSumba BoobookNinox rudolfiAustralian BoobookAustralian BoobookNinox boobookRote BoobookRote BoobookNinox rotiensisTimor BoobookTimor BoobookNinox fusca
Pel's Fishing Owl

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗

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