Tawny-browed Owl

Overview

The tawny-browed owl (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is distributed across parts of South America, specifically Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

Identification

• Approximately 44 cm long with males weighing 405–562 g and females 331–670 g.
• Features a brown facial disk surrounded by ochre, a white chin patch, and creamy brows over chestnut-brown eyes.
• Plumage consists of dark chocolate brown upperparts with white-barred tail, a buff belly, and light ochre underparts.
• Males produce a low, descending sequence of guttural, ventriloquial 'brrr brrr brrr brrr' or 'ut ut ut ut ut' notes.

Habitat

Found in Brazil from Espírito Santo state south to northern Rio Grande do Sul, along with adjacent areas of eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. It inhabits humid tropical forest, open woodland, and forests dominated by Araucaria evergreens, ranging in elevation from sea level to about 1,500 m.

Diet

A nocturnal hunter that forages from a perch in the canopy. It preys on small mammals, birds, large insects, and likely other small vertebrates.

Did you know?

Juvenile tawny-browed owls are initially almost entirely white and gradually attain their adult plumage over several years.