Ptilopsis granti
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Southern white-faced owl (Ptilopsis granti) is a fairly small owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to the southern half of Africa. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the northern white-faced owl (P. leucopsis) but the two are now commonly treated as separate species.
It is 22–28 cm (8.7–11.0 in) long and weighs 185–220 g (6.5–7.8 oz). The upperparts are grey with dark streaks and there are white spots on the scapular feathers. The underparts are whitish with dark streaks. The face is white with a black border and black around the large orange eyes. The head has two short ear-tufts with black tips. Juvenile birds have a greyish face. The northern white-faced owl is usually paler and browner with reduced streaking below.
Their call is a series of fast, bubbling hoots, uttered at night and frequently repeated. These fast, staccato notes followed by a longer and higher-pitched 'hoot' are extensively used during breeding season and pairs of owls often sing together. The Northern white-faced owl has a very different two-note call.
Southern white-faced owls occur patchily in the western regions central and southern Africa, including Gabon... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 4 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 5 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 6 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 7 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Giraffe House | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Sacramento Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Parc zoologique de Bordeaux Pessac | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Small Breeds Farm Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Montecasino Bird Gardens | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Southern White-faced Owl sighting in Hwange National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 253rd most-seen of the 308 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern White-faced Owl in Hwange National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May and July–December, the lowest months. Those are among Hwange National Park's wettest months, with about 75 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern White-faced Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
3rd of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Southern White-faced Owl sightings, Hwange National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Etosha National Park (Namibia, under 5%).
Same family: Strigidae
The closest relatives of the Southern White-faced 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 Southern White-faced Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Hwange National Park (12 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.
