The black-and-white owl (Strix nigrolineata ) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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GlidingGliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Altricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe black-and-white owl is a medium-sized owl with a round head and no ear tufts. It is between 35–40 cm in length and weigh between 400-535 grams. As for most owl species, females are usually bigger than males with an average weight of 487 g and 418 g respectively. It has a striped black-and-white breast, belly, and vent. With the exception of a black-and white striped collar, the upperparts from the crown to the tail are a sooty black. The facial disc is mostly sooty black, with white “eyebrows” that extend from the bill to the collar. The beak is a yellow-orange colour, and the eyes are a reddish brown.
Chicks are downy and white.
Juveniles have a whitish face, dark brown upper-parts and a white-barred black underside.
The black-and-white owl is mostly found in gallery forests and rainforest, but is also found in wet deciduous and mangrove forests, usually at an altitude between sea level and 2400 meters. Small ponds are also often visited by this species when hunting. It usually nests in the foliage of large, tall trees such as mahogany. This owl is not afraid of living near human habitations.
Its range extends from central Mexico south to the northwestern section of Peru and western Colombia, a range it partially shares with another related species: the mottled owl (Strix virgata ). In total, it is found in 12 countries: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. This bird of prey also stays faithful to its range all year long as it is a non-migratory bird.
This neotropical bird is a nocturnal hunter and since most of its preys can fly, it forages mostly at the canopy level of its habitat. It will first examine its surroundings by perching on an elevated branch. Then it will make short, silent flights to catch its food. Primarily insectivorous, the black-and-white owl prefers scarab beetles (Scarabaedidae) such as dung beetles and sometimes prey upon orthopterans and cicadas (Cicadidae). Bats such as the Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis ) and other small rodents also make up a large part of its diet. Furthermore, it can occasionally feed on smaller birds like trushes and tanagers as well as amphibians. It is also one of the only tropical owl species reported to capture barn swallows since those are easy to catch when roosting on nearby electric lines.
When the breeding season begins in March, the monogamous pair forms after the male successfully seduces the female with wing flaps and elaborated acrobatic flights. Then, before the severe downpours begin, the couple settles on an isolated tree to protect their offspring from climbing predators and use epiphytes and flower arrangements (e.g., orchids) as their nest. While the female incubates the clutch of one or two eggs, the male goes foraging for the pair and fiercely defends the nest, even from nearby humans. Sometimes, the female will tag along with her mate when she is not coveting. The eggs are dull, whitish and weight about 33.8 g (usually 6% of the female’s body mass) with an average length and width of 46.4 and 38.4 mm (1.83 and 1.51 in) respectively. The black-and-white owl is one of the only owl to lay a single egg which relates to the fact that clutch size lowers as a species lives closer to the Equator, thus explaining its low reproductive success. After an incubation period of at least 30 days, the chicks hatch in April. They harbour white down feathers, pink feet and beak and weight around 28 g after 2 days. They first open their eyes at 14 days old as the black bars on their wings start to develop. Chicks also have a low chance of survival as they can be preyed upon by tayras, ocelots, coatis, falcons and hawks.
The black-and-white owl is classified as “Least Concern” on IUCN’s Red List even if its populations are decreasing. Mexico’s population in particular observed a decline of 50% in the last century which has made the species a big concern for the Partners in Flight association. This bird of prey’s main threat is the loss of its wetland and forest habitats which are progressively converted into agricultural lands. Human proximity also causes their populations to decrease.
