Giant Owl Not Seen For 150 Years Is Photographed In The Wild For The First Time

October 26, 2021

A giant owl that was thought to be extinct has been photographed in the wild for the first time in 150 years by scientists working in Ghana.

giant owl sighting 150 years
Giant Owl / Credit: @robsrw and @ja_tobias

The Shelley's Eagle Owl was spotted by Rob Williams and Dr. Joseph Tobias on the Atewa ridge in Ghana.

It is the first confirmed sighting since the 1870s. The bird was first described in 1872 from a specimen obtained from a local hunter in Ghana.

Despite only seeing the bird for 10-15 seconds, Williams and Tobias managed to snap enough pictures to identify it.

Shelley's eagle-owls have distinctive black eyes, a yellow bill, and are huge in size, which in combination rule out all other African forest owls.

"It was so large, at first we thought it was an eagle," Tobias said. "Luckily it perched on a low branch and when we lifted our binoculars our jaws dropped. There is no other owl in Africa’s rainforests that big."


Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz

feel good videoThese Cat Reactions To Owners Calling Them Through Security Cameras Are Absolutely Hilarious

feel good storiesKentucky Nurse Saves Drunk Raccoon With CPR After Dumpster Mishap

feel good storiesShoulder Labrum Tear Symptoms And The Causes Behind Them

feel good stories'Everyone Gets A Kick Out Of It': Baby Born At McDonald’s Parking Lot Has Perfect Nickname

feel good storiesThe Mechanical Nurse At Guy’s Hospital Is Equal Parts Creepy And Brilliant

feel good storiesDad And His Dog Share Breakfast Together Every Morning — And It’s The Sweetest Routine

feel good videoEpic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Flashmob Takes Over the Streets of Paris

feel good videoTexas Cheerleaders Perform Emotional 9/11 Tribute That Brings Crowd To Tears

feel good videoFDNY Honors Bride Whose Father Died On 9/11 With Touching Wedding Surprise

feel good videoHoney Badger Picks Fight With Elephant, Gets Hilariously Booted Away

feel good videoTiny Soccer Rivals Choose Hugs Over Competition

Chris Filippou 12:17 PM (3 minutes ago) to me