ABSTRACT
About 130 species, represented in all zoogeographical regions. 26 are found in the Afrotropical Region. Of these, 14 occur in Kenya, where the Short-eared Owl is a Palearctic migrant, Scops Owl is a resident that is regularly augmented by Palearctic visitors, and the rest are Afrotropical residents, including the endemic Sokoke Scops Owl. The Cape Eagle Owl is mainly segregated from the similar Spotted Eagle Owl by altitude, although both occur in fairly close proximity around Lake Naivasha 62C, at 1900 m. The Pearl-spotted Owlet is ecologically segregated from the forest-dwelling Redchested Owlet , which is a member of the same species-group (Sn). The African Marsh Owl is the ecological equivalent of the Palearctic Short-eared Owl, which is a vagrant to Kenya, and the two form a species-group. The Marsh Owl is apparently the less diurnal of the two (Sn), but may hunt on overcast mornings and afternoons.
