Crested Owl

Crested Owl

Lophostrix cristata

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Amboró National Park
5 Verified sightings at Amboró National Park From 2019 to 2026
3,547 Verified sightings across all 35 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Crested Owl

The crested owl (Lophostrix cristata) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is the only species (monotypic) in the genus Lophostrix. It is a resident bird and occurs in Central America and northern South America. It is a medium-sized owl, easily recognizable with its very long whitish ear tufts and otherwise darker appearance. It inhabits lowland rainforests and prefers old growth in proximity with water. The crested owl is a strictly nocturnal species, but very little is known about its behaviour.

The genus of the crested owl is in the family Strigidae as well as the subfamily Striginae and is traditionally recognized as a part of the tribe Strigini along with Strix, Jubula and Pulsatrix. However, recent analysis suggest that Lophostrix could form its own tribe, Pulsatrigini, with Pulsatrix.

There are three recognized subspecies: Lophostrix cristata cristata (Daudin, 1800) Lophostrix cristata wedeli (Griscom, 1932) Lophostrix cristata stricklandi (Sclater & Salvin, 1859) It has been suggested that Lophostrix cristata stricklandi could be specifically distinct from Lophostrix cristata on the basis that it has a grey morph, a shorter song and strictly yellow... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Amboró National Park

Burrowing Owl
LC

Burrowing Owl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Athene cunicularia

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
LC

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Glaucidium brasilianum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Tropical Screech-Owl
LC

Tropical Screech-Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Megascops choliba

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl
LC

Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl

🌙 Nocturnal Bird

Megascops watsonii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Band-bellied Owl
LC

Band-bellied Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Pulsatrix melanota

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Yungas Pygmy-Owl
LC

Yungas Pygmy-Owl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Glaucidium bolivianum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Spectacled Owl
LC

Spectacled Owl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pulsatrix perspicillata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Rufous Banded Owl
LC

Rufous Banded Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Strix albitarsis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Buff-fronted Owl
LC

Buff-fronted Owl

🌙 Nocturnal Bird

Aegolius harrisii

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Magellanic Horned Owl
LC

Magellanic Horned Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Bubo magellanicus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Great Horned Owl
LC

Great Horned Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Bubo virginianus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Cloud-forest Screech-Owl
LC

Cloud-forest Screech-Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Megascops marshalli

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
2 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
3 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
4 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
5 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
6 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
<5%
7 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
8 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
9 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
10 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
11 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
12 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
13 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
14 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
15 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
16 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
17 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
18 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
19 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
20 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
22 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
23 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
24 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
25 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
26 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
27 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
28 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
29 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
30 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
31 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
32 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
33 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
34 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
35 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Crested Owl in Amboró National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Owl sighting in Amboró National Park, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Crested Owl in Amboró National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Crested Owl in Amboró National Park in our monthly data.

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