Puerto Rican Owl

Overview

The Puerto Rican owl (Gymnasio nudipes), also known as the múcaro común, is a mid-sized typical owl endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico. It is the sole representative of the genus Gymnasio and was formerly classified with the screech owls.

Identification

• Measures 20 to 25 cm in length with a rounded head lacking ear tufts.
• Brown morph predominates, featuring brown upperparts with irregular paler bars and vermiculation, while underparts are white with brown streaking.
• Legs are unfeathered, a trait that led to its former common name, the Puerto Rican bare-legged owl.
• Vocalisations include a short, deep, guttural trill, a soft cackling 'gu-gu', and a loud 'coo-coo'.

Habitat

Found throughout the main island of Puerto Rico, its primary natural habitat is humid lowland forest, though it also occupies dry forest and urban areas. It prefers any small territory that offers available nest cavities.

Diet

A nocturnal hunter, this owl primarily feeds on large arthropods such as cockroaches, grasshoppers, and moths. It also regularly consumes small vertebrates including frogs, lizards, rodents, and birds.

Did you know?

The species' loud 'coo-coo' call has given rise to the local colloquial name 'cuckoo bird'. The genus name Gymnasio combines the Ancient Greek word for 'naked' with the Latin word for a type of eared owl, referencing the bird's unfeathered legs.