Photo: Robert Lewis from Berkeley, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
African Wood Owl
Strix woodfordii
African Wood Owl (Strix woodfordii) — Owls of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The African Wood Owl (Strix woodfordii) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 350 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Strix
- Species woodfordii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 350 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The African Wood Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The African Wood Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The African Wood Owl (Strix woodfordii) is a member of the Strigidae family, within the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 350 g, with a wing length of about 25.7 cm and a tail of around 15 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 9.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the African Wood Owl?
The African Wood Owl is a large bird that weighs around 350 g.
Where does the African Wood Owl live?
The African Wood Owl is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the African Wood Owl belong to?
The African Wood Owl (Strix woodfordii) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the African Wood Owl eat?
The African Wood Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the African Wood Owl migrate?
The African Wood Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the African Wood Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the African Wood Owl make?
1 real field recording of the African Wood Owl — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the African Wood Owl's range?
The African Wood Owl has a mapped global range of about 9.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.