It is a dark autumn evening in Kruger National Park. The foghorn like hooting sound is heard along the Olifants river. Soon it is answered by another deeper in sound, lower down the river. It is breeding time for the ghostly fisherman. To the left an African Scops owl breaks the sudden silence just as a tilapia breaks the surface in a deep pool in the Olifants river. The near 2kg tilapia, unaware of the ghostly fisherman, capable of plucking it out of the water and which haunts this stretch of river, sinks back down to safety. A second smaller 250g fish soon rises to take a bite at a floating insect. As it breaks the surface, the swooshing sound of noisy feathers, unlike that of other owls, is the last sound the fish hears before the ghostly fisherman clamps its long claws covered with spiny soles around its slippery body! Almost immediately the fish’s spine is broken and it is swooped towards a perch over dry ground.

Just witnessed, was the classic modus operandi of the ghostly fisherman - Pel's Fishing Owl - Scotopelia Peli., which also includes two other species:

Rufous Fishing Owl and Vermiculated Fishing Owl.

The adult’s bright rufous plumage makes it undoubtedly distinguishable from all the other owl species. But it is those eyes, those dark eyes which gives it those secretive and ghostlike features.

Named after H.S. Pel, this bird is one of the most sought after species on any birder's list in Southern Africa. Sightings of this big 63cm nocturnal owl, weighing just over 2kg’s are far and few between as it roosts by day in dark-leaved shady trees and can be easily overlooked. It only hunts at night.

Human intrusion and destruction of its habitat are the two main causes of a decline in Pel's numbers in recent years.

In South Africa, this owl is currently restricted to North East KZN, Kruger National Park and along the Limpopo River in Mapungubwe. Visits to Ndumo, Mkuze, Olifants camp and Pafuri should give one the opportunity to see this remarkable bird. At the Pafuri lodge it is sometimes seen hunting from the communal deck at night. It was also here that it was noted that it also includes birds and baby crocodiles in its diet.

It breeds from late April, early May in South Africa. The nest is a hollow of 30-40 cm diameter in a broad fork, hole or cavity in a large tree overlooking water or up to 200m from water. 2 white, rounded eggs (sometimes only 1) are laid which hatches after 33 to 38 days, incubated mostly by the female. Pel's chciks also falls prey to Cainism and after 68-70 days the 1 chick will leave the nest and remain dependent on its parents for at least 4 months afterwards.

The ghostly fisherman, a truly remarkable bird.