Buff-fronted owl
| Buff-fronted owl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Buff-fronted Owl at Dourado, São Paulo State, Brazil | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Aegolius |
| Species: | A. harrisii |
| Binomial name | |
| Aegolius harrisii Cassin, 1849 | |
The buff-fronted owl (Aegolius harrisii) is a small owl. It is a rare and local resident in the highlands of South America from Venezuela south and east to Peru, northern Argentina and northwest Paraguay. The range is effectively separated into two parts by the unsuitable habitat of the Amazon basin.
This nocturnal bird breeds in open mountain forests, laying its eggs in a tree hole. It takes rodents and other small mammals as its main prey, but will also feed on birds and insects.
The buff-fronted owl is a small, compact, short-tailed and broad-winged owl, 23 cm long and weighing 130 g. It is black above with white flecking on the wings. The underparts are unstreaked buff and the tail is brown with two spotted white bars. The head is large, with yellow eyes and a black-edged buff facial disc. The flight is strong and direct. The voice is a quavering trill sometimes varying in pitch.
The binomial commemorates the American ornithologist Edward Harris.
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Aegolius harrisii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- Hilty Birds of Venezuela ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- Hilty and Brown Birds of Colombia ISBN 0-691-08371-1