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
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Pulsatrix melanota". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0-8493-4258-5.


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