Pel’s Fishing Owl (Special Edition)

This pin badge was created to celebrate Birding Big Day 2025, sponsored by RETURN Africa’s Pafuri Camp.

This unique owl haunts the riverine forests of South Africa’s northeastern reaches.

Among the largest owl species in the world, its remote habitat and stealthy nocturnal ways make it a notoriously difficult bird to spot.

One of the few places where this elusive owl can be encountered is along the Luvuvhu River, near RETURN Africa’s Pafuri Camp at the far northern edge of Kruger National Park.

Here, they hunt from low perches a meter or two above the water, catching prey at the surface rather than diving beneath it.

And if you find yourself along a Pafuri riverbank, listen for the deep, resonant hoot that drifts through the forest night, a sound that may herald a rare meeting with this ghost of the trees.