One of the raptors we see around the waterhole is the Verreaux's/Giant Eagle Owl (Bubo lacteus).  A bubo what? Its a big owl, very big, with orange eyes, pink eyelids, and tufts of fur that look like ears on the top of its head. With a wingspan of about 65cm/6.5ft. he weighs a mere 9 lbs when fully grown. As is the pattern with owls, they don't build their own nests, they find one made out of sticks and use it to raise their family. A pair of these owl's will lay two eggs once a year. Mom incubates the eggs for 38-39 days while Dad brings her food at night. Only one of the chicks will survive, as the mother will feed the stronger and more assertive of the two, with the other eventually starving to death.  The surviving chick will stay in the nest for about 2 months, and stays in the parents territory for another year. Some young eagle owls will stay through their second year to help out with the next chick. When watching the Nkorho Pan, this owl often appears without a single sound or warning from other animals. It's silent flight is characteristic of owls, as their feathers on the outer edges of their wings are almost frayed, allowing the air to pass through gently and quietly, thus the silent approach.  Once he is spotted visually, any prey will scurry for cover or alarm loudly as we see in this video.   Being the largest owl in Africa, the Eagle Owl has a wide array of prey, usually hunting small vertebrates or mammals. Its silent swoop and huge splayed talons work wonderfully together if he goes undetected. However if he misses, he will often land on the ground, trying to disturb or scare the animal out of its hiding place. He can catch birds in flight as well, and there are records of eagle owl's dining on herons, flamingos, warthog piglets, juvenile vevet monkeys and even hedgehogs. No wonder the Egyptian Geese get their feathers ruffled when this owl comes out of nowhere an zips by their water hole! http://www.africam.com/wildlife/owlupsetset

http://www.africam.com/wildlife/africambirdsdatabase#verreaux's%20eagle%20owl

http://www.everyoneweb.com/ngala/#verreauxeagleowl

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