Description
Verreaux's Eagle-Owl is a very large and powerful owl species. It ranges from 60–66 cm (24–26 in) in length. This species has an average wingspan of 140 cm (55 in). The body mass is 1,600–2,000 g (3.5–4.4 lb) in males, with an average of 1,700 g (3.7 lb) against a body mass of 2,500–3,150 g (5.5–6.9 lb), averaging 2,625 g (5.79 lb), in the larger females. Among standard measurements, each wing chord measures 42–49 cm (17–19 in), the tail is 22–27.5 cm (8.7–10.8 in) long and the tarsus is 8 cm (3.1 in).
In appearance, they are distinguished by a whitish oval disk face with a black border and their pink eyelids. Their eyes are orange in color and they have two fluffy ear-tufts. Overall, they are a fairly uniform brownish-gray, with light vermiculations above and white spots on the shoulder. They are paler on the underside.
The male's song is a deep gwok, gwok, gwonk-gwokwokwok gwokwokwok gwonk. The female's call is similar but higher pitched. The alarm calls of both sexes are often a sonorous whok but variable grunting notes and raspy screams also seem to indicate alarm. Both the female and the young engage in high, piercing calls when begging for food at the nest (at which time the male does the food capture).
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