Pharaoh eagle owl ( Bubo ascalaphus) by Chris Cocuangco
At 4650 centimetres (1820in) long, the Pharaoh eagleowl is one of the smaller eagleowl species. It is an attractive bird of prey, with striking, large orangeyellow eyes and mottled plumage. The head and upperparts are tawny and densely marked with black and creamywhite streaks and blotches, while the underparts are pale creamywhite, with black streaks on the upper breast and fine reddishbrown vermiculations on the lower breast and belly. The face has the disclike 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 eagleowl, the Pharaoh eagleowl (B. a. ascalaphus) and the desert eagleowl (B. a. desertorum), the latter being smaller and paler with sandier colouration. Distribution and habitat: The Pharaoh eagleowl is native to much of northern Africa and the Arabian peninsula. In Africa its range extends from Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in t
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