Crested owl
| Crested owl | ||||||||||
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Great crested owl ( Lophostrix cristata ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Lophostrix cristata | ||||||||||
| ( Daudin , 1800) |
The crested owl ( Lophostrix cristata ) is the only kind of the genus Lophostrix within the real owls (Strigidae).
This medium-sized owl lives in the rainforests of Central and South America .
features
The great crested owl reaches an average size of 40 centimeters. The species is unmistakable by its broad, white "eyebrows" that extend from the middle of the face to the tufts of ears. The plumage is otherwise brown, with the back side being significantly darker. The belly and the chest are provided with dark brown speckles. The eyes of the Central American subspecies Lophostrix cristata stricklandi are yellow-orange, those of the South American animals are dark brown. The face is dark to black-brown.
distribution and habitat
The great crested owl lives in the damp rainforests of Central and South America. The subspecies Lophostrix cristata stricklandi occurs from southern Mexico south in all rainforest areas of Central America as well as in Costa Rica . Lophostrix cristata wedeli lives in northern South America and in Central America as far as Panama . The third subspecies and nominate form Lophostrix cristata cristata is found south of this distribution . The distribution ranges from plains at sea level to the cloud forests at an altitude of 2000 meters.
Way of life
Although the species is not rare in some parts of Mexico and Costa Rica, relatively little is known about the animals' way of life. They are strictly nocturnal and feed mainly on large insects (primarily beetles ) and other arthropods , especially millipedes . They also hunt small mammals. The animals hunt mostly in the interior of the forest and on the banks of rivers and lakes.
The breeding season begins in February and ends in May. The crested owl is a cave breeder and mainly builds its nest in hollow trees. The boys leave their parents in September.
Web links
- Lophostrix cristata inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
- Pictures on owlpages.com
- Owling.com
- Videos, photos and sound recordings for Lophostrix cristata in the Internet Bird Collection