Marsh Owl

Asio capensis

Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Presence in the Strait: Historical
In Spanish: Búho moro

Photograph: Peter Wilton, CC BY 2.0, vía Wikimedia Commons

Length: 30 cm
Wingspan: 80–95 cm
Weight: 300 g

Presence in the Strait

Extirpated. This African species was observed until the end of the 19th Century at La Janda between October and November. The nearest population is in Morocco and is critically endangered; it belongs to the A. c. tingitanus sup-species, of which a recent record exists of a young bird on 10.12.98 at the Marismas de Bolaño in the Bay of Cadiz (outside the study area).

Identification

Like a Long-eared Owl but upperparts plain dark brown, black eyes and, in flight, the same pattern on primaries. Strigidae Búho Chico Búho Campestre

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.

Calendar in the Strait

33 %

Peak in February. Observations under CC0 or CC BY licences. The distribution also reflects observation effort.

Where it is seen

Open records from the atlas database, in cells of about 3.6 km. Opacity follows the square root of the count, and also reflects where people observe most.

See on the map

First open record: 15 April 1897
Latest record: 9 February 2022

The oldest and the most recent open observation in the extended area. A recent first observation does not mean the species is new: it means nobody had published it openly before.

Same genus in the Strait

Short-eared Owl34–42 cm · Seasonal
Long-eared Owl35–37 cm · Occasional

Species of the same genus that also occur here, ordered by how close they are in size. Being relatives does not mean they are confused in the field, but that is where the doubts start: compare size and season.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
GBIF taxon key: 6176231

Sources

Distribution and calendar: Bioestrecho's own database, ingested from GBIF and OBIS
Photograph: Peter Wilton, CC BY 2.0, vía Wikimedia Commons
Taxonomy: GBIF backbone, pending WoRMS for marine taxa
Editorial text: written by Bioestrecho
Last revised: 8 September 2026

Marsh Owl

Presence in the Strait

Identification

Gallery