Eastern Grass Owl
EASTERN GRASS OWL
Tyto longimembris
Tytonidae Family
Length 395mm (15 1/2" inches)
Wingspan 1120mm (44" inches)
Resident- Fairly Common
Bird #67 - November 2008
This is called Grass Owl Tyto capensis in the Kennedy guide. This is a big owl. Unmistakeable with its brown uppers and white face. We have seen these owls at night and during the day. In the grass areas, this owl is well named.
Sylvia first saw this owl in Santa Rosa Laguna. We were very surprised when we saw it later on in the field right behind our house in Muntinlupa! We were taking an evening walk, about to turn back into our street, when a Grass Owl flew right in front of us, three times!
We finally got pictures in June 2009 near Manila Bay. Really close shots, some of them so close we could not fit the bird in the frame. We saw this bird again in Mindanao in January of 2011. Then we started seeing them all over, usually when driving in the province at night, flying over a grassy field.
There is only one race of this owl in the Philippines amauronota.
Nowadays we see them almost everyday we are in our cottage, flying around in the dark. They usually only show when the sun is down. They nest in the grasslands. After sunset we can see and hear them calling each other while in flight. Usually the responding owl will fly straight up from the grass and poop 20 to 30 meters away from its roosting site. The owls sometimes fly in pairs.
Read MoreTyto longimembris
Tytonidae Family
Length 395mm (15 1/2" inches)
Wingspan 1120mm (44" inches)
Resident- Fairly Common
Bird #67 - November 2008
This is called Grass Owl Tyto capensis in the Kennedy guide. This is a big owl. Unmistakeable with its brown uppers and white face. We have seen these owls at night and during the day. In the grass areas, this owl is well named.
Sylvia first saw this owl in Santa Rosa Laguna. We were very surprised when we saw it later on in the field right behind our house in Muntinlupa! We were taking an evening walk, about to turn back into our street, when a Grass Owl flew right in front of us, three times!
We finally got pictures in June 2009 near Manila Bay. Really close shots, some of them so close we could not fit the bird in the frame. We saw this bird again in Mindanao in January of 2011. Then we started seeing them all over, usually when driving in the province at night, flying over a grassy field.
There is only one race of this owl in the Philippines amauronota.
Nowadays we see them almost everyday we are in our cottage, flying around in the dark. They usually only show when the sun is down. They nest in the grasslands. After sunset we can see and hear them calling each other while in flight. Usually the responding owl will fly straight up from the grass and poop 20 to 30 meters away from its roosting site. The owls sometimes fly in pairs.
