Tawny-browed Owl
Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana
Large brown owl with dark eyes and distinctive white semicircles on its face. Streaked below with distinctive pale white bars. Found mainly in open woodland, especially with Araucaria trees. The song is a deep and low “uh-uh-uh–prupruprrrr.”
Identification
The tawny-browed owl is about 44 cm (17 in) long. Males weigh 405 to 562 g (14.3 to 19.8 oz) and females 331 to 670 g (11.7 to 23.6 oz). It has a brown facial disk surrounded by ochre, a white chin patch, and creamy "brows" over chestnut-brown eyes. Its breast, upperparts, and tail are dark chocolate brown, and the tail has white bars. The belly is buff and the rest of the underparts are light ochre. The juvenile is initially almost entirely white and gradually attains adult plumage over several years.
Taxonomy
The tawny-browed owl may form a superspecies with band-bellied owl (Pulsatrix melanota). It has been suggested that they are conspecific but they have different morphology and vocalizations. It is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana
- Authority
- (Bertoni, MS & Bertoni, AW, 1901)
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Pulsatrix
Range and habitat
The tawny-browed owl is found in Brazil from Espírito Santo state south to northern Rio Grande do Sul and the immediately adjacent areas of eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. It inhabits humid tropical forest, open woodland, and forest dominated by Araucaria evergreens. In elevation it ranges from sea level to about 1,500 m (4,900 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The tawny-browed owl is nocturnal. It hunts in the canopy from a perch, taking small mammals, birds, large insects, and probably other small vertebrates.<p>The tawny-browed owl's breeding phenology has been poorly studied. Its nesting season has not been determined. The clutch size is usually two, laid in a tree cavity, and incubated by the female. Both parents care for fledged young.<p>The male tawny-browed owl makes a "[l]ow, descending sequence of guttural, ventriloquial 'brrr brrr brrr brrr' or 'ut ut ut ut ut' notes, accelerating and weaker at [the] end", to which the female responds with a higher pitched call.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black-faced Hawk
Leucopternis melanops
Smallish chunky hawk. Identifiable by size, shape, and prominent black mask contrasting with orange cere. Generally rare. Inhabits wet forests where it hunts from the mid-level to the ground; often perches well below canopy level. Takes relatively small prey, chiefly frogs and snakes. Superficially similar to White Hawk but much smaller with orange (not blue-gray) cere; unlike White Hawk, Black-faced tends not to soar for long periods and is less frequently seen than White Hawk.
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelos
Plumage brown above and whitish below with droplet-shaped dark spots; breast has rich buffy wash in fresh plumage (mainly autumn–winter). Appreciably smaller, darker overall, and more compact than Mistle Thrush. An inhabitant of wooded habitats, including parks, gardens, and farmland with hedges and taller trees; often feeds on lawns and grassy verges, but usually near cover. Strident song, often heard in suburban neighborhoods, is more prolonged than that of Eurasian Blackbird, and frequently repeats phrases 2-4 times. A native of Eurasia, introduced to southeastern Australia, New Zealand, and a few surrounding islands.
Yellow-browed Antbird
Hypocnemis hypoxantha
Rather small antbird with a disjunct distribution. Males have a yellow face and underparts with a black crown, eye-line, and streaks on the breast. Females have a yellow streaked crown. Southeastern subspecies has ochraceous lower underparts. Song is a descending and decelerating series of fluted notes becoming harsher at the end. Found in the understory of humid forests, often in areas of transitional forest or poor soils. Rarely accompanies mixed-species flocks. The similar Spix's and Peruvian Warbling-Antbirds have white breasts, and the song of Peruvian is somewhat slower-paced.
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