Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pel’s Fishing Owl
Scotopelia peli
Pel's Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli) — Owls of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pel’s Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 1.9 kg. 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 Scotopelia
- Species peli
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.9 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pel’s Fishing Owl hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Pel’s Fishing Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pel’s Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread s of the Sahara.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.9 kg, with a wing length of about 40.3 cm and a tail of around 21.7 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 4.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pel’s Fishing Owl?
The Pel’s Fishing Owl is a very large bird that weighs around 1.9 kg.
Where does the Pel’s Fishing Owl live?
The Pel’s Fishing Owl is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread s of the Sahara, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Pel’s Fishing Owl belong to?
The Pel’s Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Pel’s Fishing Owl eat?
The Pel’s Fishing Owl hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Pel’s Fishing Owl migrate?
The Pel’s Fishing Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pel’s Fishing 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 Pel’s Fishing Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Pel’s Fishing Owl — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pel’s Fishing Owl's range?
The Pel’s Fishing Owl has a mapped global range of about 4.6 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.