Rufous-legged Owl
Strix rufipes
Large nocturnal owl of temperate southern forests; fairly common but rarely encountered. Roosts and calls mainly in upper to middle levels of canopy, usually well hidden, but often hunts from low perches at forest edges and along roadsides. Rounded head (no “ears”) and dark brown eyes are distinctive. Compare with the larger Magellanic Horned Owl, which favors more open habitats. Loud barking and hooting song is striking and carries well on still nights.
Identification
The rufous-legged owl is compact, with a round head and no ear tufts. It is 33 to 38 cm (13 to 15 in) long and weighs about 350 g (12 oz); females are larger than males. Adults have a rusty facial disk, white "brows" over dark brown eyes, and white lores. Its upperparts are dark reddish brown with narrow orange-buff bars and spots. The tail is also reddish brown, with buff bars. The throat is white, most of the underparts are buffy white with many black bars, and the vent area is orange-buff. The legs and toes are covered with buffy feathers. The chick is downy off-white. The juvenile is a warm buff with faint dusky brown barring and a tawny face.
Taxonomy
The rufous-legged owl has two subspecies, the nominate Strix rufipes rufipes and S. r. sanborni. The latter is known from a single immature specimen. At one time what is now treated as the Chaco owl (Strix chacoensis) was also considered to be a subspecies of rufous-legged owl, but the two differ in plumage, morphology, and voice.
- Scientific name
- Strix rufipes
- Authority
- King, PP, 1827
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Strix
Range and habitat
The rufous-legged owl is found in Chile from approximately Valparaíso Province and in far western Argentina from approximately Mendoza Province south to the tip of Tierra del Fuego. The one specimen of S. r. sanborni was taken on Chiloé Island off the coast of south-central Chile. The species primarily inhabits moist old-growth forest with a closed canopy and a dense understory. It is also found in older secondary forest and semi-open forest. In elevation it ranges from sea level to at least 2,000 m (6,600 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The rufous-legged owl is nocturnal and usually hunts from a perch. Its primary prey is small arboreal mammals. Birds, amphibians, and insects are also taken but account for only a small percentage of its diet.<p>The rufous-legged owl's breeding phenology is poorly known. It probably lays eggs beginning in October; the clutch size is one to three eggs. It usually nests in a tree cavity, either natural or excavated by a woodpecker. It occasionally will use an old raptor nest and is thought to possibly nest on the ground as well.<p>The rufous-legged owl's vocalizations are "a variety of grunting, hooting, and cackling noises."
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Streak-throated Canastero
Asthenes humilis
Small, plump brown bird with a fairly long tail sometimes held cocked. Has lighter brown underparts, a faint white eyebrow, and black streaking on the face and throat. Found in rocky grasslands with short grass at high elevations, where it forages on the ground between patches of grass. Compared to the similar Cordilleran Canastero, Streak-throated has more prominent streaking in the face and throat and a brown tail (reddish brown in Cordilleran). Its song is a soft, short trill, and it also gives bursts of “pit” notes.
Naumann's Thrush
Turdus naumanni
Paler and more orangish than Dusky Thrush. Adult males are the brightest-colored and young females have patchy black on the throat and chest. Note the plain wings without Dusky’s rufous paneling; also note Naumann’s less contrasting head pattern and orange-scaled underparts. Hybrids show a combination of Dusky and Naumann’s features. Naumann’s breeds in taiga and winters in forests and parks; mixes with Dusky on wintering grounds, but less in favor of open habitat. Vocalizations similar to Dusky Thrush.
Bahama Warbler
Setophaga flavescens
This charming species is fond of pine woods where it is often found creeping along branches and trunks in a manner similar to that of the Black-and-white Warbler. Also visits flowers. The very similar Yellow-throated Warbler has less extensive yellow on both belly and face as well as a thicker eyeline, more distinctive white patch behind the cheek, and shorter bill. Song is a sweet “chutty, chutty, chutty, swee, swee, tsoo, tsoo.” Call is a single high “chip” or “tsit” like that of a Yellow-throated Warbler.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.