Pel's Fishing Owl

Pel’s fishing owl © Sausage Tree Safari Camp

The Pel’s fishing owl is one of the largest owls in the world and is found along rivers and lakes throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Their favourite habitat is riparian forests with large trees, such as we have along the Olifants. They’re residential in habit, so they don’t migrate but are territorial, staking out portions of riverbank and lakefront to call their own.

Although mostly nocturnal, we have been fortunate to see Pel’s during the day, especially when prey is scarce or hard to find. As their name implies, their main prey is fish and they are able to catch fish up to 2 kg in weight. They swoop down to catch fish just below the surface of the water with their powerful talons and don’t submerge or get themselves too wet doing so.  ---  Africa Geographic