Pharaoh Eagle-owl
A species of Horned Owls Scientific name : Bubo ascalaphus Genus : Horned Owls
Pharaoh Eagle-owl, A species of Horned Owls
Botanical name: Bubo ascalaphus
Genus: Horned Owls
Content
Description General Info
Description
At 46–50 centimetres (18–20 in) long, the Pharaoh eagle-owl is one of the smaller eagle-owl species. It is an attractive bird of prey, with striking, large orange-yellow eyes and mottled plumage. The head and upperparts are tawny and densely marked with black and creamy-white streaks and blotches, while the underparts are pale creamy-white, with black streaks on the upper breast and fine reddish-brown vermiculations on the lower breast and belly. The face has the disc-like form typical of most owls, defined by a dark rim, the robust bill is black and hooked, and the head is crowned with small ear tufts. There are two recognised subspecies of the Pharaoh eagle-owl, the Pharaoh eagle-owl (B. a. ascalaphus) and the desert eagle-owl (B. a. desertorum), the latter being smaller and paler with sandier colouration. 
Size
50 cm
Nest Placement
Cliff
Feeding Habits
Pharaoh Eagle-owl primarily consumes small mammals, particularly rodents such as gerbils and jerboas. It also eats birds, rare amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates like scorpions and occasionally crabs. Pharaoh Eagle-owl is opportunistic, hunting various prey depending on availability, from dusk to dawn, usually from a perch.
Habitat
The pharaoh Eagle-owl typically inhabits arid environments characterized by rocky desert hills, vast mountains, and wadis featuring dramatic gorges and cliffs. Its domain also encompasses open deserts marked by prominent rock outcrops and extends into the drier regions of savanna landscapes. By day, pharaoh Eagle-owl often seeks shelter within rock clefts or crevices, and less frequently, among the branches of trees where available.
Dite type
Carnivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
The Pharaoh eagle-owl is nocturnal and emerges at dusk to hunt over an area of about 5 km (2 sq mi). It will feed on any small creatures it can find including mammals, birds, snakes, lizards, beetles and scorpions. It perches on an eminence and watches and listens so as to detect moving prey before swooping down on its victim. This owl is monogamous and forms a lifelong relationship. Breeding takes place in late winter and the nest is a scrape in a crevice or among rocks. Two eggs are laid and incubated by the female for about 31 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest at about 20 to 35 days old, but remain reliant on their parents for several more months.
Distribution Area
The Pharaoh eagle-owl is native to much of northern Africa and the Arabian peninsula. In Africa its range extends from Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in the west, through Mali, Niger and Chad to Libya, Sudan and Egypt. It is also known from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Israel, Jordan and Iraq. It is a vagrant to Senegal. Its habitat is mostly open arid country with rocky outcrops, plains, wadis and cliffs.
Species Status
The Pharaoh eagle-owl has a very large range and is reported as being abundant in at least part of the range. It faces no particular threats, and as a result, the IUCN has listed it as being of "Least Concern".
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Owls Family
True owls Genus
Horned Owls Species
Pharaoh Eagle-owl 
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