Owls are often tough enough to spot in the wild because of their incredible camouflage, but the pearl-spotted owlet is even more difficult to spot because of its size. It is one of the smallest owls in Africa.
Which makes this spotting by of a pearl-spotted owlet in South Africa’s Kruger National Park by Rodgerh Tsendze all the more remarkable.
Of course, as a supervisor at Kruger National Park, Tsendze no doubt has an eagle eye when it comes to wildlife compared to the average tourist.
Tsendze posted a photo of the pearl-spotted owlet on the private group Facebook page of SANParks – Kruger National Park and it got impressive reviews.
The pearl-spotted owlet stands 6 to 8 inches tall and gets its name from the pearl-like white spots above its shoulders. It has a rounded head with no ear-tufts.
“The pearl-spotted Owlet is active mainly at dusk and dawn, but also during daytime and occasionally on moonlit nights,” writes The Owl Pages. “Prefers to sing from exposed perches, often from the tops of bushes or trees.”
In this photo, the owl is sitting among the branches of a mopane tree, one of the most utilized trees found in Kruger National Park.
In case you did miss it, here is the reveal:
Funny, once you see where it is, you can’t unsee it.
Among the comments on Facebook:
“Beautiful, right in the middle of the tree hiding away.”
“So well camouflaged.”
“Great spotting!!”
“Such camouflage! Great shot.”
“Wow, so cute and what a camouflage!”
Photo courtesy of Rodgerh Tsendze.