Early one morning, before sunrise, this adult Spotted Eagle Owl flew into a large mesh net, even though this net was fairly low. This individual was very easy to handle, allowing for great photos after ringing and measuring it – biometrics were in the overlap zone so could be male or female. There are at least two pairs of Spotted Eagle Owl at Vondeling (and at least one adult Barn Owl).
A few thousand of these owls have been ringed in southern Africa, many of them as nestlings or older birds that were rehabilitated. Some have been caught by bal-chatri, but probably very few have been caught in nets.
Fact sheet:
Number ringed to date (SAFRING): 3446 [1948-2024]
Longevities: 10y 4m
Trip report: bdi blog
Reason special: unusual catch
