Akun Eagle-Owl (Bubo leucostictus)

[order] STRIGIFORMES | [family] Strigidae | [latin] Bubo leucostictus | [authority] Hartlaub, 1855 | [UK] Akun Eagle-Owl | [FR] Grand duc tachete | [DE] Schwachschnabel-Uhu | [ES] Buho de Akun | [NL] Akoen-oehoe

Subspecies

Genus

Physical charateristics

One of the smaller eagle-owl species, the Akun eagle-owl’s head and upperparts are predominantly dark to reddish-brown, with a patterning of pale, dusky brown bars on the wings and back, and white markings around the shoulders. The head is distinctively crowned with two large ear tufts, which are dark brown with white spots, while the large, round eyes are pale yellow. The upper breast is light reddish-brown and marked with dark bars, while the rest of the underparts are white, with reddish-brown vermiculations and large blackish spots. In contrast to the adult, the juvenile Akun eagle-owl has a whitish head and body, with reddish-brown barring and brown wings and tail. Although the Akun eagle-owl’s usual call is a low, accelerating, cluck-like rattle, when alarmed it produces an unusual quacking sound

Listen to the sound of Akun Eagle-Owl

[audio:https://planetofbirds.com/MASTER/STRIGIFORMES/Strigidae/sounds/Akun Eagle-Owl.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

Range

Africa : Central, West. The Akun eagle-owl has a patchy range that extends throughout many of the West African countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea, from Guinea, west to Cameroon and south to Angola. Its range also includes the Central African Republic and northern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Habitat

The Akun eagle-owl occupies lowland primary and secondary rainforest, predominantly around forest edges and clearings, but also along the borders of rivers and on forested river islands

Reproduction

Little is known about the Akun eagle-owl’s reproductive biology. In West Africa it appears to lay eggs around the period from November to January, and nestlings have been recorded in Liberia between February and April. Like some other eagle-owl species, the Akun eagle-owl constructs its nest on the ground

Feeding habits

The Akun eagle owl apparently feeds almost exclusively on insects. Small feet and a relatively weak bill prevent it from tackling larger prey, so the Akun eagle-owl concentrates its hunting activities on beetles, cicadas and locusts, taking them on the wing or plucking them from foliage. Prey is then brought back to a perch and held in the feet, while being nipped it into small pieces with the bi

Video Akun Eagle-Owl

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSEy2wfwB6g

copyright: Martin Kennewell

Conservation

This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Currently, the main threat to the Akun eagle-owl is habitat loss and degradation, resulting from the intense logging activity occurring in many parts of its range

Migration

Presumed resident

Distribution map