The Southern White Faced Scops Owl (Ptilopsis granti) are usually recognisable by their striking white facial discs, with a border of black plumage, and bright orange eyes.
When threatened they create the illusion of being much larger and aggressive by opening their wings, creating a 'semi-circle' around their bodies and fluffing out their feathers to increase their size.
The typical call begins with a rapid, stuttering staccato trill, followed by a clear drown out 'whhhhhy-hooh', with the 'hooh' often slightly rising in pitch.
Hunting from a perch, they drop down and glide low over the ground before swooping to a new perch with their caught prey.
