grass owl; African grass owl
Refers specifically to Tyto capensis, the African grass owl. A bird species name.
The African grass owl is a type of barn owl that lives in Africa.
Katakana spelling is standard for this bird name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be widely recognized; lists it but the word is usually written in kana.
Compound of 南 (minami, 'south') + 面梟 (menfukurō, 'barn owl'), referring to its southern African habitat. The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 面梟 is a direct translation of 'mask owl'.