Rufous Fishing Owl (Scotopelia ussheri)
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Rufous Fishing Owl

Scotopelia ussheri Sharpe, 1871

46–51 cmLength787 gWeight

The rufous fishing owl (Scotopelia ussheri), also known as the rufous-backed fishing-owl or Ussher's fishing owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae.

Most records: Sierra Leone, Ghana

Vulnerable

Where and when it's recorded

Most records: Sierra Leone, Ghana

Rufous Fishing Owl has been recorded at 6 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Tiwai Island Wildlife SanctuarySierra Leone17 records
  2. Gola Rainforest NP – NorthSierra Leone3 records
  3. Nsuta ForestGhana3 records
More places
  1. Ankasa NPGhana2 records
  2. Gola Rainforest NP – EastSierra Leone1 record
  3. Kakum NP – CanopyGhana1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

Sierra LeoneGhana

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 rufous fishing owl (Scotopelia ussheri), also known as the rufous-backed fishing-owl or Ussher's fishing owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to west Africa, where it is a highly localised resident along forest rivers.

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

Questions

How big is the Rufous Fishing Owl?

The Rufous Fishing Owl is about 46–51 cm long and weighs around 787 g.

Where does the Rufous Fishing Owl live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Sierra Leone to Ghana. It is most often recorded in Sierra Leone and Ghana.

Is the Rufous Fishing Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Rufous Fishing Owl as Vulnerable.

What does the Rufous Fishing Owl eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Rufous Fishing Owl in?

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

At a glance

Length
46–51 cm
Weight
787 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Vulnerable
More measurements
Wing
324 mm
Tail
180 mm
Bill
45 mm
Tarsus
61 mm

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

Range

Africa: Sierra Leone to Ghana

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Owls Strigidae
Genus
Scotopelia

Other birds in the genus Scotopelia

Pel's Fishing OwlPel's Fishing OwlScotopelia peliVermiculated 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
Rufous Fishing Owl

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

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