Colours

Distinguishing features

Females are slightly larger than males. It has large eyes, a big head, a short neck, and broad wings. Its bill is short, strong, hooked and black. Its plumage is mottled tawny to brown with a barred tail and wings. The upper breast is significantly streaked.

Its yellow-orange eyes are exaggerated by black rings encircling each eye, giving the appearance of them wearing mascara, and large, whitish disks of plumage surrounding the eyes like a mask.

Its flight is characteristically floppy due to its irregular wingbeats.

Size

Wingspan

Synonyms

Distribution

Audio recordings

Web resources