Birds · Strigiformes · Strigidae

Band-bellied Owl

Pulsatrix melanota

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The band-bellied owl — known in Spanish as búho barrado or lechuzón de anteojos andino — is a nocturnal raptor of the montane forests of the Andes, with a dark facial disc crossed by strongly marked white eyebrows that give it the look of wearing spectacles, and a finely barred breast. It hunts small mammals, birds and large insects from perches in the understorey. It is unobtrusive and little known, and most records come from its call, a deep, repeated hooting.

Weight

400 g – 700 g

Size

41 cm – 48 cm

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestMountainCarnivore Nocturnal In pairs Bird Rainforest Mountain

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Fun facts

Its white eyebrows over a dark facial disc give it the look of wearing spectacles, a feature it shares with the other owls of its genus and one that is surprisingly visible in the gloom of the cloud forest.
It is so unobtrusive that in many Andean countries it is better known by its voice than by its appearance: wildlife surveys almost always record it by call rather than by sighting.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Montane cloud forest and Andean foothill rainforest, between 700 and 2,500 metres
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 35 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/