Do Owls Live in the Savanna?

On any given night near the woods, you can hear the distinctive sound of an owl hoot nearby. Owls are nocturnal, only active at night until the early dawn hours. Typically, they roost in trees or shrubs until sundown when they begin to look for insects, moths, crickets or other food. White-faced scops owls are commonly found in sub-Saharan Africa, along the west coast and typically thrive in wooded areas or in savannas.

  1. Lifestyle

    • Male and female owls typically live within small groups. At night, several owls fly to high places, which allows them to look out for any prey that they can devour. Insects, small birds, reptiles and rodents all make for delicious morsels for these nocturnal creatures. Once an owl spots its prey, it swallows it whole and then regurgitates the pellets at roosting time.

    Nesting

    • During mating season, the male scops owls can be very vocal and they often sing from different areas within their territory. Male owls also sing from their nesting sites, in order to attract females for mating. At times, more than one male owl must compete for the female. A singing duel between male owls is very common. Once a male and a female owl have mated, they make their nest in hollow sections of trees. They also build nests using lose sticks. They often remain in the same place for many years after the nest is built.

    Population

    • A female owl will lay one batch of two or three eggs, which must incubate for about four weeks. During this time, the male owl will bring food to the female owl via his bill. Once the egg has hatched, the male and female owl will care for the chick for a period of about two weeks. Typically, most owl chicks can fly after they are about one month old.

    Conservation

    • Although these owls are not considered threatened and are often seen, their population is thinly distributed. Due to pesticide use and loss of habitat due to human construction, the natural habitats of the owl are rapidly diminishing. This has alerted conservation advocates to find areas that can be considered protective throughout the savannas of West Africa in which the owls can thrive. Efforts have been made to reduce logging and to educate local populations about alternatives to logging, which can help the owl population.