Band-bellied Owl

About the Band-bellied Owl

The band-bellied owl (Pulsatrix melanota) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. 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.

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.

The nominate subspecies of band-bellied owl is found on the eastern slope of the Andes... Wikipedia →