Behind the bizarre Shoebill, Pel’s Fishing Owl is probably the most sought-after bird in African birding circles; the leopard of the bird world. We have a large number in the Luangwa Valley and we often find them near big lagoons during night drives. However, it’s more unusual to see them during the day, so I was very happy to find this one sitting high in a tree when I was on a morning drive recently.

They hunt at night and in the twilight before dusk, swooping down from a perch and plucking fish from near the surface of the water.