OWLS   -   STRIGIDAE

Santa Marta Screech-Owl Megascops sp. nov. El Dorado Lodge, Sierra de Santa Marta, Magdalena department, Colombia. This new species is in the process of being formally described as M. gilesi. It is currently known only from a tiny area on the San Lorenzo ridge in the Santa Marta Mountains from 1700-2600 m elevation. It will likely prove to be more widespread in the mountain range once more areas are surveyed. It is often seen right behind the El Dorado Lodge, where this photo was taken. (S5f)

Santa Marta Screech-Owl Megascops sp. nov. El Dorado Lodge, Sierra de Santa Marta, Magdalena department, Colombia. This is a more recent photo, also from right behind the lodge, but it is a different individual, appearing less rufous. (S6f)

Pacific Screech-Owl Megascops cooperi cooperi La Ensenada Lodge, Guanacaste province, Costa Rica. Found in dry woodland from Mexico to Costa Rica. (S6f)

Tropical Screech-Owl Megascops choliba luctisomus El Paujil reserve, Santander department, Colombia. A very common neotropical owl, occurring in a variety of habits from Costa Rica to Uruguay. (S5f)

Tropical Screech-Owl Megascops choliba choliba Intervales State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil. This bird was roosting in a palm tree. (D3)

Tropical Screech-Owl Megascops choliba choliba Guapi Assu Bird Lodge, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. A pair roosting not far from the lodge. (S5f)

Peruvian Screech-Owl Megascops roboratus pacificus Quebrada Limón, Lambayeque department, Peru. Endemic to the Tumbesian and Marañon regions of W Ecuador and N Peru. (S6f)

Peruvian Screech-Owl Megascops roboratus pacificus Quebrada Limón, Lambayeque department, Peru. In a roost hole. (D1)

Koepcke's Screech-Owl Megascops koepckeae Estancia Chillo, Utcubamba Valley, Amazonas department, Peru. Two birds at a well-known day roost in a eucalypt tree. This species is rare and local in Andean valleys from northern Peru to western Bolivia. It is similar to the previous species; the only difference visible in this poor photo is the bolder shaft streaks on the underparts. (D6)

Cinnamon Screech-Owl Megascops petersoni Abra Patricia, San Martín department, Peru. This species, restricted to the east slope of the Andes in southern Ecuador and northern Peru, was only described in 1986. Birds resembling this species have recently been observed in the northern part of the central Andes of Colombia, but right now it is unclear if it is the same thing or an undescribed species. (S6f)

Bearded Screech-Owl Megascops barbarus South of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas state, Mexico. It has a rather restricted range from southern Mexico to Guatemala. (S5f)

Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl Megascops watsonii watsonii Yasuní Research Station, Orellana province, Ecuador. This species occurs widely in South American tropical rainforest east of the Andes. There are two subspecies which may deserve to be split due to vocal differences and slight plumage differences. (S6f)

Black-capped (Variable) Screech-Owl Megascops atricapilla Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. A screech-owl endemic to the Atantic Forest. This bird came out of a roost hole and perched in a nearby tree. (D3)

Crested Owl Lophostrix cristata cristata Gareno Lodge, Napo province, Ecuador. To close to digiscope properly, and I didn't have my SLR with me... Still, it's a fantastic owl! (D3)

Spectacled Owl Pulsatrix perspicillata perspicillata Sacha Lodge, Orellana province, Ecuador. One of the most common and widespread neotropical owls. (D1)

Spectacled Owl Pulsatrix perspicillata Playa de Oro, Esmeraldas province, Ecuador. Juvenile. This bird is only just starting to develop the full dark head of the adult. It is a very handsome bird even in "teenager" plumage! (S5f)

Tawny-browed Owl Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Similar to Spectacled Owl, but occurs only in the Atlantic Forest region. Interestingly, Spectacled Owl also occurs in the same areas, and I don't think that anyone has studied the relationship of these two species in the area of overlap. (D2)		Tawny-browed Owl Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana Itatiaia NP, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The amount of barring on the underparts is quite variable. Unlike the previous one, this one hardly shows any. (D3)

Band-bellied Owl Pulsatrix melanota melanota Pacto Sumaco road, Napo province, Ecuador. The third and final Pulsatrix, this one is restricted to east Andean cloudforests from Colombia to Bolivia. (D2)		Rufous-legged Owl Strix rufipes rufipes La Campana National Park, Region V, Chile. A beautiful owl found mainly in Chile, though it also occurs in adjacent parts of Argentina. (S5)

Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus nacurutu Pousada Piuval, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. This familiar North American species is also widespread in South America, though it mostly does not occur in areas with extensive rainforest. (S6)

Mottled Owl Ciccaba virgata centralis Sierra de los Tuxtlas, Veracruz state, Mexico. This owl was still vocal and responsive just after sunrise. My recordings of this bird can be heard here. (S5f)

Black-and-white Owl Ciccaba nigrolineata Orotina, Alajuela province, Costa Rica. The famous owl from the town square of this pleasant town. It has been living there happily for years, and virtually every birder passing through western Costa Rica stops and has a look! (D3)

Northern (Mountain) Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium gnoma gnoma La Cumbre, Oaxaca state, Mexico. Currently lumped again with it's North American counterpart. (D5)

Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium nubicola San Tadeo, Pichincha province, Ecuador. And finally we get to the Glaucidiums. I have pretty much given up identifying most of these guys on just plumage features. Song is the only way to go, though geographical region is usually enough to let you know to expect. All of the pygmy-owls in this gallery were singing. This Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl was giving its distinctive double-toot pattern, but it has spotting on the breast, including the sides of the breast, a feature it is not meant to have. (D1)

Andean Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium jardinii Tandayapa Pass, Pichincha province, Ecuador. This species is widespread in high Andean forests from Venezuela south to northern Peru north of the Rio Marañon. In NW Ecuador, it replaces Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl (G. nubicola) above about 2000 m. This is a nice rufous morph. (D3)

Yungas Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium bolivianum Abra Barro Negro, Amazonas department, Peru. This species replaces the previous south of the Rio Marañon. It was formerly considered a subspecies of that species, but has a much slower paced song. (S6)

Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium costaricanum Savegre Mountain Lodge, San José province, Costa Rica. One of the more distinctive members of the genus, with bright and contrasting buff spots over much of its body. (D3)		Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium costaricanum Savegre Mountain Lodge, San José province, Costa Rica. The same individual as in the previous shot. (D3)

Least Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium minutissimum Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Another owl restricted to the Atlantic Forest, where it is found only inside mature forest. This bird was singing. (D3)

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum ucayalae(?) Puerto Francisco de Orellana (Coca), Orellana province, Ecuador. Probably the most common neotropical owl. This is a rufous morph, which lacks distinct bands on the tail. (D3)

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum ucayalae(?) Near the Blanquillo Macaw Lick, Madre de Dios department, Peru. Notice that the brown morph does have obvious tail bands. (D2)		Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum brasilianum Carmo, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. (D3)

Long-whiskered Owlet Xenoglaux loweryi Abra Patricia, San Martín department, Peru. Up until a few years ago, this species defined the term "near-mythical." After it's description in 1977, about 25 years passed with no further sightings, and it's voice was unknown. Then, a few birds were mist-netted and finally it's voice was recorded, and a new reserve was created with trails into the forest. Soon enough birders were starting to see it on a fairly regular basis. I believe Frank Lambert and I were the first ones to see this species outside of a mist net, on 19 May 2008, though this photo was taken a few years later on 16 Oct 2011. Now it is a bird that visitors can expect a reasonable chance to see, if not at Abra Patricia, at another site closer to Pomacochas called Yambrasbamba. (S6f)

Austral Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium nanum Nahuelbuta National Park, Region IX, Chile. The southernmost pygmy-owl, found mainly in southern Chile and southern Argentina. (S5)

Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia punensis Túcume, Lambayeque department, Peru. (S6)

Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia grallaria Jeremoaba-Canudos road, Bahia state, Brazil. (S6)

Stygian Owl Asio stygius stygius Vale das Taquaras, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Fairly widespread but never common. It is extremely rare in the state of Rio; apparently this is one of only very few records in the last 20 years. (S5)