Animalia Life

Pulsatrix perspicillata
SUBFAMILY
Striginae, Tribe Strigini
TAXONOMY
Strix perspicillata Latham, 1790, Cayenne. Six subspecies are recognized.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Chouette а lunettes; German: Brillenkauz; Spanish: Lechuzуn de Anteojos.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
16.9–20.5 in (43–52 cm). 1.3–2.75 lb (590–1,250 g). A largish owl, it has a brown facial disc, white eyebrows and lores, and yel- low eyes. Head and neck are very dark blackish brown and the throat is white. The rest of the upperparts are dark brown with gray-brown bands on the flight feathers and tail. Underparts are buff with a brown breast band. Legs and toes are feathered.
DISTRIBUTION
Central America through to northeast Argentina; not found in high Andes.
HABITAT
Tropical and dry forests, scattered trees, coffee plantations, and forested streams.
BEHAVIOR
Sedentary. Nocturnal. Very vocal.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Mainly vertebrates, including mammals (up to the size of skunks), bats, birds, frogs, and lizards. Also takes crabs and crayfish. Hunts from a perch.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Cavity nester. Lays two eggs, but usually only one young survives. The chick leaves the nest in five to six weeks, but remains with the parents for up to a year after fledging. Juveniles take one to three years to develop adult plumage.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not globally threatened. Fairly common where it is found.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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