Hibou strié

Identification

The striped owl is a relatively large species with prominent tufts of elongated feathers on the crown resembling ears. It is 30–38 cm (12–15 in) long and weighs from 320 to 546 g (11.3 to 19.3 oz). Its head, back, hot wings and tail are brown with black stripes and small markings while its underparts are buff-coloured with heavy black streaking on the breast. The facial disk is pure white with a thin black border.

Taxonomie

The striped owl was formally described by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1808 under the binomial name Bubo clamator. The specific epithet clamator is Latin meaning "shouter". The type locality is Cayenne in French Guiana. The striped owl was at one time placed in its own genus Rhinoptynx and was then transferred to the genus Pseudoscops. A molecular study that compared mitochondrial DNA sequences indicated that it should be placed in the genus Asio. This result was confirmed by a large molecular phylogenetic study of the owls published in 2019.

Nom scientifique

Asio clamator

Autorité

(Vieillot, 1808)

Ordre

Strigiformes

Famille

Strigidae

Genre

Asio

Répartition et habitat

The striped owl is native to much of South and Central America. Its range is not well known, perhaps because it is nocturnal and not easily seen, but it is known from Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela. It uses a variety of habitats, including riparian woodlands, marshes, savannahs, grassy open areas, and tropical rainforests. It can be found from sea level to an altitude of 1,600 m (5,200 ft) and above.

Migration

Resident species

Conservation

The striped owl has a very large range and its population is believed to be stable. It faces no particular threats and is classified by the IUCN as least concern.

Tendance de la population

declining