Band-bellied Owl
Pulsatrix melanota
Impressive, strongly-patterned owl of cloud forest along the east slope of the Andes. Note brown breast, banded belly, and white “X” on otherwise dark face. Juvenile is creamy white with a black mask. Usually first detected by its far-carrying song that is often given as a duet. One owl starts with a pulsing series of low-pitched, guttural notes. Another owl responds with a similar vocalization but at a slightly different pitch, and after a few moments the first owl sings again.
Identification
The band-bellied owl is fairly large, ranging from 44 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in) long. An analysis of the weight of 13 birds of both sexes showed a range of 590 to 1,250 g (1.30 to 2.76 lb) and an average of 873 g (1.925 lb). The adult has a dark brown facial disk and white "brows" over dark reddish brown eyes. Its upperparts are dark chocolate brown with scattered buffy-white spots. The tail is also dark brown, with thin white bars. The upper breast is reddish brown with buff barring. The rest of the underparts are white to creamy with reddish brown barring. The juvenile's plumage has not been described.
Taxonomy
The band-bellied owl may form a superspecies with tawny-browed owl (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana). It has been suggested that they are conspecific but they have different morphology and vocalizations. The band-bellied owl has two subspecies, the nominate P. m. melanota and P. m. philoscia.
- Scientific name
- Pulsatrix melanota
- Authority
- (Tschudi, 1844)
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Pulsatrix
Range and habitat
The nominate subspecies of band-bellied owl is found on the eastern slope of the Andes from central Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru. P. m. philoscia is found from there to west-central Bolivia. In elevation it ranges from about 650 to 2,200 m (2,130 to 7,220 ft). It primarily inhabits the interior of humid montane forest and foothills rainforest but is also found on forest edges and in clearings with scattered trees.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The band-bellied owl is nocturnal. Its diet is poorly studied but is known to include large insects.<p>Though there is no published information on the band-bellied owl's breeding phenology, it is presumed to nest in natural tree cavities.<p>The band-bellied owl's vocalizations are also poorly known. It is "[s]aid to give a short, deep trill followed by fast burst of popping notes", and "deep, muffled hoots" have been recorded in Peru. The sexes perform duets.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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