Asio capensis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The marsh owl (Asio capensis) is a medium to large species of owl in the family Strigidae. Medium-sized, dark brown with a pumpkin-shaped head with small 'ear' tufts. The facial disc is pale buff, with a distinct dark brown rim with buff speckles. There is a dark brown area around the eyes, which are also dark brown. Its ear-tufts are earth-brown and quite small, often not visible, and set near the centre of the forehead. The tail is dark brown, barred pale buff with a whitish tip. Tarsi are feathered pale tawny-buff and toes are covered with pale buffish plumes, leaving the dark brown tips bare. Claws are blackish.
Males are generally paler than females, and there is some individual variation in tone. Length is 31–38 cm, wing length is 284–380mm, tail length is 132–186mm, and weight is 225–485g. The marsh owl's habitat preference is open grassland, marshlands and short scrub, typically near marshy grounds, vleis or dams. Marsh owls prefer to nest on the ground and they have also been observed leaving certain areas during drought-stricken times. Their preferred habitat tends to be vulnerable to destruction due to agriculture or overgrazing. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 4 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 5 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 9 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harare | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dullstroom Bird Of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Marsh Owl sighting in Hwange National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 274th most-seen of the 308 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Marsh Owl in Hwange National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February to December, the lowest months. That is one of Hwange National Park's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against almost none in July.
Between 5 and 8 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Marsh Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Among the best
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Marsh Owl sightings, Hwange National Park ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in West Coast National Park (South Africa, under 5%), Nairobi National Park (Kenya, under 5%) and Moremi Game Reserve (Botswana, under 5%).
Same family: Strigidae
The closest relatives of the Marsh Owl that you can see in Hwange National Park (family Strigidae, Typical Owls) are Pearl-spotted Owlet (about 20%), Verreaux's Eagle-Owl (about 10%) and African Scops-Owl (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Marsh Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Hwange National Park (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
