Bubo lacteus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Verreaux's eagle-owl (Ketupa lactea), also commonly known as the milky eagle owl or giant eagle owl, is a large owl of the genus Ketupa in the family Strigidae. It is the largest African owl, measuring up to 66 cm (26 in) in total length. Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, this eagle-owl is a resident primarily of dry, wooded savanna. The species is mainly grey in colour and is distinguishable by its bright pink eyelids, a unique feature not shared with any other owl species.
Verreaux's eagle-owl is a highly opportunistic predator equipped with powerful talons. Just over half of its known diet is composed of mammals, but equal numbers of birds and even insects may be hunted locally, along with any other appropriately sized prey that is encountered. This species is considered of Least Concern by IUCN, as it occurs over a wide range and has shown some adaptability to human-based alterations and destruction of habitat, also adapting to diverse prey when a primary prey species declines in a region. Although large in size and highly territorial, the Verreaux's eagle-owl does occur at fairly low densities, and some regional declines have been reported.
The common name commemorates the French naturalist Jules Verreaux. While still in his teens, Verreaux collected the type specimen that was later described by Temminck at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dar es-Salaam | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Mombasa | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Verreaux's Eagle-Owl sighting in Murchison Falls National Park on a given day, based on 50 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 213th most-seen of the 424 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, June–July, September and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Verreaux's Eagle-Owl in Murchison Falls National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May, August, October and December, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Verreaux's Eagle-Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
25th of 36
Of the 36 parks where we can rate Verreaux's Eagle-Owl sightings, Murchison Falls National Park ranks 25th at under 5%. The best odds are in Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 30%), Tsavo West National Park (Kenya, about 20%) and Ruaha National Park (Tanzania, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Verreaux's Eagle-Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Murchison Falls National Park (50 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.
