© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved. Brufut Woods, Gambia, Feb 2013.

Bird name: Northern White Faced Owl
Latin: Ptilopsis leucotis
Other: Grand-duc de Verreaux (Fr), Búho lechoso (Es), Bufo-de-verraux (Pt), Milchuhu (De), Gufo latteo (It)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Widespread sub-Saharan Africa
Similar: African Scops Owl

The Northern White-faced Owl strikes a thin pose when alerted. Otherwise he can look quite chubby (see below).

Below, first record of Northern White-faced Owl at Farakunku Lodge, Feb 2013
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved. Janjanbureh, Gambia, Mar 2013.

Bird name: Verreaux's Eagle Owl
Latin: Bubo lacteus
Other: Grand-duc de Verreaux (Fr), Búho lechoso (Es), Bufo-de-verraux (Pt), Milchuhu (De), Gufo latteo (It)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Widespread sub-Saharan Africa
Similar:

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl is a magnificent, powerful owl - the largest in Africa. I saw them on a couple of occasions in the Gambia. One pair was seen in Brufut Woods and another individual in Janjanbureh. They have characteristic pink eyelids.


Below, Verreaux’s Eagle Owls in Brufut Woods, Gambia, Feb 2013
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved • Marakissa River Lodge, Gambia, Feb 2013

Bird name: Pearl Spotted Owlet
Latin: Glaucidium perlatum
Other: Chevêchette perlée (Fr), mochuelo perlado (Es), Mocho-perlado (Pt), Perl-Sperlingskauz (De)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Africa south of the Sahara
Similar:

Above, a distant Pearl-spotted Owlet in Marakissa, Gambia.

The guides often use the call of the diurnal Pearl-spotted Owlet to attract mobbing passerines.

© monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Pantanal • August 2011

Bird name: Burrowing Owl
Latin: Athene cunicularia
Other: (Es) • Coruja-buraqueira (Br)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: North, Central and South America - from Canada to Argentina
Similar:

The small Burrowing Owl is a photographer’s friend - it stands peched in the open during broad daylight. It does hunt at night but is also often active during the day.

I regularly saw Burrowing Owls in open country throughout Brazil - farmland or dry scrub is typical habitat. Often there seemed to be groups, perhaps families or two pairs.

This small terrestrial owl lives in burrows in the ground, and often stands on a mound by the entrance to its burrow.

In Brazil, the Burrowing Owl has bright yellow irises and a white brow.

Directly below, a Burrowing Owl at Rio Clarinho Lodge, Pantanal, Brazil. August 2011.
More photos...

© monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Pantanal • August 2011

Bird name: Tropical Screech Owl
Latin: Megascops choliba
Other: Currucutú común (Es) • Corujinha-do-mato (Br)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: South America
Similar:

This Tropical Screech Owl flew across a path at Rio Clarinho Lodge in the Pantanal, alighting on the other side so we could observe him in clear daylight from just a couple of metres away. Unusual to get such a good daylight view, so we may well have flushed him.

A pair also seen in a tree at Regua (further below).More photos...

© TC/monacoeye • San Isidro, Ecuador • Sep 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Black Banded Owl
Latin: Strix huhula
Other: Cárabo negro (Es) • Coruja-preta (Br)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay
Similar: Black-and-white Owl

Thanks to Tom for this great shot of the resident Black-banded Owl at San Isidro Lodge, in Ecuador. If you visit, be sure to ask a guide to point him out for you. When I visited he was on top of the tall palm tree near the entrance to the lodge one night - too far for a decent photo.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Santa Lucia, Ecuador, Feb 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Cloud Forest Pygmy Owl
Latin: Glaucidium nubicola
Other: Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl • Mochuelo ecuatoriano (Es)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Colombia and Ecuador
Similar: Andean Pygmy Owl

The guide I was with in Santa Lucia was convinced that the bird above was a rare Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl. On my first morning’s birding in Ecuador, no less. We had just left the Santa Lucia Lodge and were observing some of the regular warblers and tanagers when the guide homed in on a great commotion of birds in a couple of trees.

He became very excited, believing this to indicate the presence of an owl, and scanned the branches for some time trying to find the bird. Eventually he did locate the small Pygmy Owl, which was sitting calmly on a bough with warblers, tanagers and flycatchers all around, mobbing it.

On examination he believed it to be a Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl, which he had only previously heard once, and never seen. It’s a rare bird, classed Vulnerable on the IUCN 3.1 list, with an estimated population of only a few thousand individuals. It has been recorded in Pichincha.

But although I’m happy to defer to more learned opinion, the photo itself is unlikely to be conclusive proof, as the Andean Pygmy-Owl, Glaucidium jardinii, although scarce, is much more common with larger range, and looks very similar, with longer tail and more extensive pale spotting or barring on back, sides of chest and flanks. So unless an expert weighs in, the bird pictured could probably be either Cloud-Forest or Andean.

The Andean Pygmy-Owl is generally found above 2000m and the Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl below 2000m - the photo was taken at about 1900m altitude.More photos...

© TC/monacoeye • Do not copy • Valle de Anton • 1 May 2010

Bird name: Crested Owl
Latin: Lophostrix cristata
Other: Coruja-de-crista (Br)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Mexico to Brazil
Similar:

The Crested Owl is a large owl with long whitish ear tufts, and fine mottled barring on chest.

It is the only member of the Lophostrix genus and found in tropical Central and South America from southern Mexico to northwestern Brazil. This individual was seen in El Valle de Anton in central Panama.More photos...

© monacoeye • Do not copy • Pipeline Road • 24 April 2010

Bird name: Spectacled Owl
Latin: Pulsatrix perspicillata
Other: Búho de antifaz (Es), Oropopo, Lechuzón • Murucututu (Br), Murucutu
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Mexico to Argentina
Similar:

This Spectacled Owl was very difficult to see and focus on, perched inside a hollow in the canopy in almost total darkness. This large owl will sometimes prey on the much larger three-toed sloth.

This individual was seen off the Pipeline Road in central Panama. The Panamanian subspecies is Pulsatrix perspicillata chapmani. Spectacled Owls live from southern Mexico and Trinidad to southern Brazil and northwestern Argentina.More photos...

© monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Regua, Brazil • September 2011

Bird name: Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
Latin: Glaucidium brasilianum
Other: Caburé chico (Es) • Caburé (Br)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Arizona to Argentina, incl Brazil
Similar:

This is a terrible photo, but was taken in heavy mist which I’ve tried to compensate for, without much success, in Photoshop. You can see the belly markings though.

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl is found throughout most of Central and South America, bar Chile, its range stretching from Arizona in the US.More photos...

© TC/monacoeye • Do not copy • Valle de Anton • 27 April 2010

Bird name: Mottled Owl
Latin: Ciccaba virgata
Other: Coruja-do-mato (Br)
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Mexico to Argentina
Similar:

Thanks again to Tom for sending me his shot of the Mottled Owl which we didn’t manage to see in El Valle, Panama.

The Mottled Owl has no ear-tufts and is strictly nocturnal.
More photos...

Bird name: Eurasian Eagle Owl
Latin: Bubo bubo
Other: Hibou Grand Duc
Family: Strigiformes • Owls

Photo: monacoeye • Eze • April 2009

There was some kind of medieval festival held in nearby Eze village a couple of weeks ago.More photos...

I came across these two dead birds on my last visit to the Camargue in March 2009. The Barn Owl was beside the path in La Capellière and the Flamingo was beside the path at the Pont de Gau bird centre.More photos...

078 Strigidae • Owls - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Otus sagittatus - White-fronted Scops Owl - Malay Peninsula
Otus rufescens - Reddish Scops Owl - Malay Peninsula, Greater Sundas
Otus thilohoffmanni - Serendib Scops Owl - Sri Lanka
Otus icterorhynchus - Sandy Scops Owl - W, C Africa
Otus ireneae - Sokoke Scops Owl - Kenya
Otus balli - Andaman Scops Owl - Andaman Islands
Otus alfredi - Flores Scops Owl - Flores
Otus spilocephalus - Mountain Scops Owl - Widespread Asia
Otus brookii - Rajah Scops Owl - Sumatra, Borneo
Otus angelinae - Javan Scops Owl - W Java
Otus mentawi - Mentawai Scops Owl - Mentawai Archipelago
Otus bakkamoena - Indian Scops Owl - S Pakistan, C, S India, Sri Lanka - Was Collared Scops Owl
Otus lettia - Collared Scops Owl - W Himalayas through S China, N Indochina and Taiwan - Split from Otus bakkamoena
Otus semitorques - Japanese Scops Owl - NE China, Korea, Ussuriland, Japan, Ryukyu Is. Eurasia - Split from Otus bakkamoena
Otus lempiji - Sunda Scops Owl - S Thailand, Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo, Java - Split from Otus bakkamoena
Otus fuliginosus - Palawan Scops Owl - Philippines
Otus megalotis - Philippine Scops Owl - Philippines
Otus silvicola - Wallace's Scops Owl - Lesser Sundas
Otus mirus - Mindanao Scops Owl - Philippines
Otus longicornis - Luzon Scops Owl - Philippines
Otus mindorensis - Mindoro Scops Owl - Philippines
Otus brucei - Pallid Scops Owl - SW, C Eurasia - NW India
Otus senegalensis - African Scops Owl - Widespread Africa
Otus scops - Eurasian Scops Owl - W, C Eurasia - Africa
Otus sunia - Oriental Scops Owl - Widespread Asia, also E Asia
Otus magicus - Moluccan Scops Owl - Moluccas, Lesser Sundas
Otus sulaensis - Sula Scops Owl - Sula Islands
Otus siaoensis - Siau Scops Owl - Siau Island
Otus mantananensis - Mantanani Scops Owl - Philippines
Otus elegans - Ryukyu Scops Owl - islands S of Japan to Philippines
Otus manadensis - Sulawesi Scops Owl - Sulawesi
Otus collari - Sangihe Scops Owl - Sangihe Island
Otus beccarii - Biak Scops Owl - Biak Island
Otus insularis - Seychelles Scops Owl - Seychelles Islands
Otus umbra - Simeulue Scops Owl - Simeulue Island - Otus umbra includes O. enganensis
Otus enganensis - Enggano Scops Owl - Enggano Is (w Sumatra) Asia
Otus alius - Nicobar Scops Owl - Nicobar Islands
Otus pembaensis - Pemba Scops Owl - Pemba Island
Otus pauliani - Karthala Scops Owl - Grand Comore Is, Comoros
Otus capnodes - Anjouan Scops Owl - Anjouan Is, Comoros - Otus capnodes NB
Otus moheliensis - Moheli Scops Owl - Moheli Is, Comoros
Otus mayottensis - Mayotte Scops Owl - Mayotte Is,Comoros
Otus madagascariensis - Torotoroka Scops Owl - Madagascar
Otus rutilus - Rainforest Scops Owl - Madagascar
Otus hartlaubi - Sao Tome Scops Owl - São Tomé Africa

Megascops flammeolus - Flammulated Owl - W North America, Middle America
Megascops asio - Eastern Screech Owl - SE, SC Canada to NE Mexico
Megascops kennicottii - Western Screech Owl - W, S Alaska to S Mexico
Megascops seductus - Balsas Screech Owl - SW Mexico
Megascops cooperi - Pacific Screech Owl - S Mexico to NW Costa Rica
Megascops trichopsis - Whiskered Screech Owl - SE Arizona to NC Nicaragua
Megascops choliba - Tropical Screech Owl - Costa Rica to NE Argentina
Megascops roboratus - West Peruvian Screech Owl - SW Ecuador, NW Peru
Megascops koepckeae - Koepcke's Screech Owl - W Peru, NW Bolivia
Megascops clarkii - Bare-shanked Screech Owl - Costa Rica to NW Colombia
Megascops barbarus - Bearded Screech Owl - S Mexico, N Guatemala
Megascops ingens - Rufescent Screech Owl - Venezuela to Bolivia
Megascops colombianus - Colombian Screech Owl - W Colombia to N Peru - Megascops colombianus probably conspecific with M. ingens
Megascops petersoni - Cinnamon Screech Owl - SE Ecuador to NW Peru
Megascops marshalli - Cloud-forest Screech Owl - C, S Peru
Megascops watsonii - Tawny-bellied Screech Owl - Amazonia
Megascops guatemalae - Middle American Screech Owl - NW, NE Mexico to N Nicaragua - New name
Megascops vermiculatus - Vermiculated Screech Owl - Costa Rica to NW Colombia and N Venezuela - Split from M. guatemalae
Megascops roraimae - Roraiman Screech Owl - Tepuis of SE Venezuela and N Brazil - Split from M. guatemalae
Megascops centralis - Choco Screech Owl - SW Colombia, NW Ecuador - Split from M. guatemalae
Megascops napensis - Napo Screech Owl - E Colombia to N Bolivia - Split from M. guatemalae
Megascops hoyi - Yungas Screech Owl - S Bolivia to NW Argentina - Megascops hoyi unsettled, Montane Forest Screech Owl or Hoy's Screech Owl?
Megascops atricapilla - Black-capped Screech Owl - SE South America
Megascops sanctaecatarinae - Long-tufted Screech Owl - SE South America
Megascops nudipes - Puerto Rican Screech Owl - Puerto Rico
Megascops albogularis - White-throated Screech Owl - Venezuela to Bolivia

Pyrroglaux podargina - Palau Owl - Palau Islands

Gymnoglaux lawrencii - Bare-legged Owl - Cuba

Ptilopsis leucotis - Northern White-faced Owl - E, C, W Africa
Ptilopsis granti - Southern White-faced Owl - S of Equator

Mimizuku gurneyi - Giant Scops Owl - Philippines

Bubo scandiacus - Snowy Owl - N North America, Eurasia
Bubo virginianus - Great Horned Owl - Widespread North America, Latin America
Bubo magellanicus - Lesser Horned Owl - C Peru to Tierra del Fuego - Split from B. virginianus
Bubo bubo - Eurasian Eagle-Owl - Widespread Eurasia
Bubo bengalensis - Indian Eagle-Owl - Indian subcontinent - Split from B. bubo
Bubo ascalaphus - Pharaoh Eagle-Owl - NW Africa to Arabian Peninsula
Bubo capensis - Cape Eagle-Owl - S, SE, E Africa
Bubo africanus - Spotted Eagle-Owl - S of Equator
Bubo cinerascens - Greyish Eagle-Owl - E, C, W Africa
Bubo poensis - Fraser's Eagle-Owl - C, W Africa
Bubo vosseleri - Usambara Eagle-Owl - NE Tanzania
Bubo nipalensis - Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl - S India & Sri Lanka, Himalayas to Southeast Asia
Bubo sumatranus - Barred Eagle-Owl - Malay Peninsula, Greater Sundas
Bubo shelleyi - Shelley's Eagle-Owl - W, C Africa
Bubo lacteus - Verreaux's Eagle-Owl - Widespread Africa
Bubo coromandus - Dusky Eagle-Owl - Pakistan to W Thailand, Asia, also E China
Bubo leucostictus - Akun Eagle-Owl - C, W Africa
Bubo philippensis - Philippine Eagle-Owl - Philippines
Bubo blakistoni - Blakiston's Fish Owl - NE China, N Japan

Ketupa zeylonensis - Brown Fish Owl - Middle East to Southeast Asia
Ketupa flavipes - Tawny Fish Owl - Himalayas to Southeast Asia
Ketupa ketupu - Buffy Fish Owl - Southeast Asia to Java & Borneo

Scotopelia peli - Pel's Fishing Owl - Widespread Africa
Scotopelia ussheri - Rufous Fishing Owl - W Africa
Scotopelia bouvieri - Vermiculated Fishing Owl - WC Africa

Strix seloputo - Spotted Wood Owl - Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Java, Philippines
Strix ocellata - Mottled Wood Owl - India, Burma
Strix leptogrammica - Brown Wood Owl - Widespread Asia
Strix aluco - Tawny Owl - W Eurasia, N Africa
Strix nivicolum - Himalayan Owl - Himalayas to E Asia. Eurasia - Split from S. aluco
Strix butleri - Hume's Owl - SW Eurasia
Strix occidentalis - Spotted Owl - W North America, Middle America
Strix varia - Barred Owl - Widespread North America, Middle America
Strix fulvescens - Fulvous Owl - S Mexico to El Salvador
Strix hylophila - Rusty-barred Owl - SE South America
Strix chacoensis - Chaco Owl - SC South America
Strix rufipes - Rufous-legged Owl - C Chile to Tierra del Fuego
Strix uralensis - Ural Owl - Widespread Eurasia
Strix davidi - Pere David's Owl - C China
Strix nebulosa - Great Grey Owl - N North America, Eurasia
Strix woodfordii - African Wood Owl - Widespread Africa
Strix virgata - Mottled Owl - Widespread Latin America
Strix albitarsis - Rufous-banded Owl - Venezuela to Bolivia
Strix nigrolineata - Black-and-white Owl - C Mexico to Venezuela & Peru
Strix huhula - Black-banded Owl - Widespread South America

Jubula lettii - Maned Owl - C, W Africa

Lophostrix cristata - Crested Owl - S Mexico through Amazonia

Pulsatrix perspicillata - Spectacled Owl - S Mexico to NE Argentina - Includes ssp magellanicus and pulsatrix
Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana - Tawny-browed Owl - SE South America
Pulsatrix melanota - Band-bellied Owl - SE Colombia to Bolivia

Surnia ulula - Northern Hawk-Owl - N North America, Eurasia

Glaucidium passerinum - Eurasian Pygmy Owl - Widespread Eurasia
Glaucidium brodiei - Collared Owlet - Widespread Asia
Glaucidium perlatum - Pearl-spotted Owlet - Widespread Africa
Glaucidium californicum - Northern Pygmy Owl - W North America from SE Alaska to S Baja
Glaucidium gnoma - Mountain Pygmy Owl - SE Arizona to C Honduras - Split of Glaucidium gnoma and G. californicum
Glaucidium costaricanum - Costa Rican Pygmy Owl - Costa Rica, Panama
Glaucidium jardinii - Andean Pygmy Owl - W Venezuela to C Peru
Glaucidium nubicola - Cloud-forest Pygmy Owl - Colombia & Ecuador
Glaucidium bolivianum - Yungas Pygmy Owl - Peru to NW Argentina
Glaucidium palmarum - Colima Pygmy Owl - W Mexico
Glaucidium sanchezi - Tamaulipas Pygmy Owl - NE Mexico
Glaucidium mooreorum - Pernambuco Pygmy Owl - E Brazil
Glaucidium griseiceps - Central American Pygmy Owl - S Mexico to Panama
Glaucidium parkeri - Subtropical Pygmy Owl - Ecuador to Bolivia
Glaucidium hardyi - Amazonian Pygmy Owl - Amazonia
Glaucidium minutissimum - East Brazilian Pygmy Owl - E, SE South America
Glaucidium brasilianum - Ferruginous Pygmy Owl - Widespread Latin America - Glaucidium brasilianum includes ssp tucumanum, species?
Glaucidium peruanum - Pacific Pygmy Owl - W Ecuador, Peru
Glaucidium nana - Austral Pygmy Owl - Southern Cone
Glaucidium siju - Cuban Pygmy Owl - Cuba
Glaucidium tephronotum - Red-chested Owlet - W, C Africa
Glaucidium sjostedti - Sjöstedt's Barred Owlet - WC Africa
Glaucidium cuculoides - Asian Barred Owlet - Himalayas to Southeast Asia
Glaucidium castanopterum - Javan Owlet - Java
Glaucidium radiatum - Jungle Owlet - India
Glaucidium castanonotum - Chestnut-backed Owlet - Sri Lanka
Glaucidium capense - African Barred Owlet - SE, SC,w
Glaucidium albertinum - Albertine Owlet - NE Congo, N Rwanda. Africa - Split from G. capense

Xenoglaux loweryi - Long-whiskered Owlet - N Peru

Micrathene whitneyi - Elf Owl - SW USA to C Mexico

Athene noctua - Little Owl - Widespread Eurasia, Africa Europe; N, NE Africa
Athene brama - Spotted Owlet - S Iran to Southeast Asia
Athene cunicularia - Burrowing Owl - Widespread North America, Latin America

Heteroglaux blewitti - Forest Owlet - C India

Aegolius funereus - Boreal Owl - N North America, Eurasia
Aegolius acadicus - Northern Saw-whet Owl - Widespread North America, also C Mexico
Aegolius ridgwayi - Unspotted Saw-whet Owl - S Mexico to Panama
Aegolius harrisii - Buff-fronted Owl - E, C South America

Ninox rufa - Rufous Boobook - New Guinea, N Australia
Ninox burhani - Togian Boobook - Togian Islands
Ninox strenua - Powerful Boobook - E Australia
Ninox connivens - Barking Boobook - Moluccas, New Guinea, Australia
Ninox rudolfi - Sumba Boobook - Sumba
Ninox boobook - Southern Boobook - Lesser Sundas, S New Guinea, Australia - Ninox boobook not conspecific with N. novaeseelandiae
Ninox novaeseelandiae - Morepork - Tasmania, New Zealand - Revert
Ninox scutulata - Brown Hawk-Owl - NE Pakistan through S Asia, Malaysia to Borneo - Sulawesi, Lesser Sundas
Ninox japonica - Northern Boobook - Russian Far East to Korea, Japan; Taiwan - Philippines, Sundas, Wallacea - Split from N. scutulata
Ninox randi - Chocolate Boobook - Philippines, except Palawan - Split from N. scutulata
Ninox obscura - Hume's Hawk-Owl - Andaman Is. Asia - Split from N. scutulata
Ninox affinis - Andaman Hawk-Owl - Andaman Is
Ninox superciliaris - White-browed Hawk-Owl - Madagascar
Ninox philippensis - Philippine Hawk-Owl - Philippines
Ninox ochracea - Ochre-bellied Boobook - Sulawesi
Ninox ios - Cinnabar Boobook - N Sulawesi
Ninox squamipila - Hantu Boobook - Buru Is, Seram Is. Australasia - Was Moluccan Boobook
Ninox hypogramma - Halmahera Boobook - N Moluccas - Split from N. squamipila
Ninox forbesi - Tanimbar Boobook - Tanimbar Is. Australasia - Split from N. squamipila
Ninox natalis - Christmas Boobook - Christmas Island
Ninox theomacha - Papuan Boobook - New Guinea - New name
Ninox meeki - Manus Boobook - Admiralty Islands
Ninox punctulata - Speckled Boobook - Sulawesi
Ninox variegata - New Ireland Boobook - Bismarck Archipelago - New name
Ninox odiosa - New Britain Boobook - Bismarck Archipelago - New name
Ninox jacquinoti - Solomons Boobook - Solomon Islands
Ninox sumbaensis - Little Sumba Hawk-Owl - Sumba

Uroglaux dimorpha - Papuan Hawk-Owl - New Guinea

Pseudoscops grammicus - Jamaican Owl - Jamaica
Pseudoscops clamator - Striped Owl - Widespread Latin America

Nesasio solomonensis - Fearful Owl - Solomon Islands

Asio stygius - Stygian Owl - Widespread Latin America
Asio otus - Long-eared Owl - Widespread North America, Middle America, Eurasia
Asio abyssinicus - Abyssinian Owl - E Africa
Asio madagascariensis - Madagascar Owl - Madagascar
Asio flammeus - Short-eared Owl - Widespread Worldwide except Australasia
Asio capensis - Marsh Owl - Widespread Africa