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.
| Band-bellied owl | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Strigidae |
| Genus: | Pulsatrix |
| Species: | P. melanota |
| Binomial name | |
| Pulsatrix melanota (Tschudi, 1844) | |
This owl is fairly large, variously reported from 35.5 to 48 cm (14–19 in) long. An analysis of the weight of 13 birds of both sexes showed a range of 590–1,250 g (1.30–2.76 lb), and an average of 873 g (1.925 lb).[2] It is dark brown above and whitish below with prominent rusty-colored barring and a broad brown chest band mottled with whitish-buff. Its facial disc is dark brown with white spectacles. The throat has a white half-collar. The eyes are a reddish brown. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, between elevations of 700 m and 1,600 m.
The behavior of this owl is almost completely unknown. Like its better known cousin, the spectacled owl, it is believed to hunt a wide variety of prey while watching from a perch and dropping down to catch prey.
References
- BirdLife International (2012). "Pulsatrix melanota". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0-8493-4258-5.