Though many owls are known to fluff up their feathers to appear larger than their attacker, the Southern White-faced Owl has mastered the technique of changing its appearance.
It transforms itself into different forms depending upon the size of its potential attacker. For example, when faced with a barn owl — a bird that is only slightly larger — it puffs up its feathers to appear bigger, thus scaring the predator away. However, when confronted with a bird that is much larger, the owl does the opposite. It elongates its body, flattens its feathers and squints to resemble a dead branch, thus camouflaging itself effectively.
The Southern White-faced Owl grows to a height of about 20cm. It has bright orange eyes and a greyish-white body. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa.