Appearance:

A beautiful, very pale owl with a diagnostic, heart-shaped face and black eyes. Underparts white to buff. Buff-bellied individuals most likely to be confused with other owls, but note lack of barring and streaking. Instead the underparts may be covered in small spots. Underwing almost white. The white bellied birds may recall the much larger Snowy Owl, but has much slender wings, slender body, longer legs and protruding head. Posture upright, both on ground and when perched. Flight-pattern variable, but often hunts from low above ground in slow and buoyant flight.

Sound:

Large repertoire of mainly hissing and screeching sounds. Song consists of a single, drawn screech, lasting about a second and is often performed in flight. Starting in a very hoarse tone, then progressing with a rising pitch into a more burbling sound, before suddenly ending.

Song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Appearance:

Buzzard-sized eagle with long tail, slender build and white patches at base of wings. Occurs in pale and dark morph. Pale birds may be confused with much larger Egyptian Vulture, but note short. wedge-shaped tail of latter. Dark birds harder to identify, but differ from Marsh Harrier by flat, not raised wings, from Black Kite by round, not forked, tail and less arched wings. Buzzards have 5 (not 6) "fingers", shorter tail and more plump build. For separation from Bonelli's Eagle see that species.

Sound:

Very vocal in breeding season. Most often heard is a quite soft, wader-like series of "kli-kli-kli-kli-kli-kli".

Contact call:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Patrick Franke, Licence,Link.