Spectacled Owl

Pulsatrix perspicillata

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderStrigiformes (Owls)
FamilyStrigidae (Typical Owls)
GenusPulsatrix (Spectacled Owls and Allies)
SpeciesPulsatrix perspicillata (Spectacled Owl)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve

6 Verified sightings at Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve From 2019 to 2026

2,865 Verified sightings across all 55 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Spectacled Owl

The spectacled owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) also called a Murucututu, is a large tropical owl native to the neotropics. It is a resident breeder in forests from southern Mexico and Trinidad, through Central America, south to southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northwestern Argentina. There are six subspecies. One is occasionally treated as a separate species called the short-browed or brown-spectacled owl but the consensus is that it is still merely a race until more detailed analysis can be done.

The spectacled owl is found in Mexico, Central America (Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama), Trinidad and Tobago, and South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina). The spectacled owl is primarily a bird of tropical rainforests, being found mostly in areas where dense, old-growth forest is profuse. However, it may enter secondary habitats, such as forest edges, especially while hunting. On occasion, they have been found in dry forests, treed savanna plains, plantations, and semi-open areas with trees. In areas such as Costa Rica, they may inhabit subtropical... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve

Strix virgata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Glaucidium griseiceps

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Pseudoscops clamator

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Megascops guatemalae

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Strix nigrolineata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Glaucidium brasilianum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Lophostrix cristata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Tyto furcata

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	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	~10%
2	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
3	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
4	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
5	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
6	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
7	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
8	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
9	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
10	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
11	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
12	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
13	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
14	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
15	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
16	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
17	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
18	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
19	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
20	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
21	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
22	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
23	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	<5%
24	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
25	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
26	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
27	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
29	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
30	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
31	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
32	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
33	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
34	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
35	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
36	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
37	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
38	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
39	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
40	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
41	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
42	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
43	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
44	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
45	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
46	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
47	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	Insufficient data
48	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
49	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
50	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
51	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
52	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
53	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
54	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
55	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

← Back to Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve

Spectacled Owl

About the Spectacled Owl

Recent sightings of Spectacled Owl in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve

Closest Relatives at Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve

Mottled Owl

Central American Pygmy-Owl

Striped Owl

Vermiculated Screech-Owl

Black-White Owl

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

Crested Owl

American Barn Owl

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found