Verreaux's Eagle-Owl

Verreaux's Eagle-Owl is the largest nocturnal raptor in Africa. Its name comes from French ornithologist Jules Verreaux (1807-1873) who was very early attracted to birds and animals, his father being a taxidermist. This nocturnal raptor ranks 3rd among the world's nocturnal raptors, behind Blakiston's Fish-Owl in Asia and the Eurasian Eagle-Owl. A large raptor, the female can weigh up to 3.1 kg while the male will only weigh about 2 kg, the stronger sex is not always the one you think it is! Once spotted, it is recognizable by its two tufts of feathers, which may be more or less long depending on individuals. The head shows a distinct black facial circle, slightly bordered by white, this circle encompassing the entire face which is milk-white and extending down to the beak of greyish white color and marking the upper edge of the eyes. Thin black hairs form a mustache on either side of the beak. But the distinctive mark of the Verreaux's Eagle-Owl is the pink of its eyelids, which it does not always show, above huge black eyes. The forehead is light grey or milk-white (Bubo lacteus!), slightly striped with horizontal dark bands, the neck, chest and belly, of the same color present the same stripes. The mantle and back are light brown-grey with white tints. White vertical stripes mark the wings, especially at the edges of the scapulars and median flight feathers, the same type of smaller white bands marking the tertiary remiges. Generally, the ends of the coverts are also white, even though these marks can be absent in some individuals. In flight, the upper coverts are whitish with gray marks while the remiges are gray, separated from each other by a white line; seen from below the coverts are practically white, with gray stripes crossing the ends.Young ones have a lighter plumage that is more towards brown, the puffs of ear tufts are almost not visible and the facial disk is less pronounced. Generally, the bird shows less of its legs often masked by the plumes of the lower abdomen, when the Verreaux's Eagle-Owl stands, one sees powerful talons and thick tarsi visibly muscular.