Rufous-banded Owl
Strix albitarsis
Uncommon medium-sized owl found in the subtropical and temperate zones of the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia. Patterned with rufous, dark brown, and white overall. Shows especially noticeable rufous on the facial disk and a spotted white belly. Occurs in the middle to upper levels of humid cloud forests from around 1,700–3,000 m. Nocturnal. Like most owls, more easily heard than seen. Vocalizations similar to Black-and-white Owl—a series of short hoots with a forceful longer hoot at the end—but slower.
Identification
The rufous-banded owl is 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 in) long; two specimens weighed 265 and 350 g (9.3 and 12.3 oz). It has a round head and no ear tufts. Adults have a rufous facial disk that is blacker around the orange eyes, white "brows", and white lores. The rest of the head and the upperparts are blackish brown with buffy rufous bars and spots. The tail is also blackish brown, with lighter bars. The chest is dark brown with whitish and tawny bars and spots. The rest of the underparts are silvery white and rufous brown in an ocellated (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ocellated) pattern. The juvenile is buffy with a blackish mask.
Taxonomy
The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) places the rufous-banded owl in genus Strix and divides it into three subspecies, the nominate S. a. albitarsis, S. a. opaca, and S. a. tertia. However, the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (SACC/AOS), the Clements taxonomy, and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) assign it to genus Ciccaba. Even more confusingly, HBW agrees with the assignment of three subspecies but Clements considers the species to be monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Strix albitarsis
- Authority
- (Bonaparte, 1850)
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Strix
Range and habitat
The rufous-banded owl is found in the Andes from northern Venezuela south to western and southern Bolivia. The IOC places the nominate subspecies in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador; S. a. opaca in Peru, and S. a. tertia in Bolivia. The species inhabits humid evergreen montane forest and cloudforest that have a dense understory, epiphytes, and mosses. In Venezuela it has also been recorded in more open areas adjoining dense forest. In elevation it ranges from about 1,700 to 3,700 m (5,600 to 12,100 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The rufous-banded owl is nocturnal and becomes active soon after dark. It forages in the forest canopy and has been reported to forage from perches at the edge of forest. Its diet has not been studied but is probably insects and small mammals.<p>Almost nothing is known about the rufous-banded owl's breeding phenology. A recently fledged bird was found in late June in Colombia and a juvenile was seen in August in Venezuela.<p>The rufous-banded owl's primary vocalization is a "[f]ast series of 5–10 short, deep, guttural notes followed by brief pause and then an explosive higher-pitched note: 'hu hu hu hu hu, HOOa', or 'hu hu hu hu hu hu hu hu hu hu, HOOa'". It also calls a "series of gruff single hoots: 'rrroo rrroo rrroo rrroo...'".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Slender, long-tailed bird that is more often heard than seen. Brown above and white below, with a yellow bill. Look for the large white spots on underside of tail. Wings flash rufous, especially obvious in flight. Stealthy and shy in dense forests and riparian areas, often sitting motionless for long periods of time. Feeds mainly on caterpillars and other insects. Uncommon but widespread breeder across much of North America; more southerly distribution than Black-billed Cuckoo. Winters in South America, where care should be taken to separate from very similar Pearly-breasted Cuckoo, which lacks rufous tones in wing. Separated from Black-billed Cuckoo by bill color, wing color, and tail pattern. Listen for its hoarse cooing song and knocking calls.
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New Zealand’s largest endemic parrot. Flightless, nocturnal, and solitary, confined to several predator-free offshore islands. Adults have a moss-green coloring mottled with black and yellow on top. Shows gray legs, feet, and bill with a unique pale owl-like face. A solitary bird that forages on the ground and climbs trees at night. During the breeding season, males gather on lek-breeding “arenas,” a series of bowls and tracks where they give deep, resonating booming calls to attract females. Calls can carry several kilometers.
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