Chaco owl
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Strix chacoensis

The Chaco owl (Strix chacoensis ) is an owl found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

Appearance

The Chaco owl is 35 to 38 cm (14 to 15 in) long. Males weigh 360 to 435 g (12.7 to 15.3 oz) and females 420 to 500 g (15 to 18 oz). It has a round head with no ear tufts. Adults have a pale grayish white facial disk with concentric dark lines. Their upperparts are dusky brownish black with narrow white and yellowish buff barring. Their underparts are off-white with dark brown barring. The tail is dark grayish brown with narrow pale bars.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Biogeographical realms

The Chaco owl is found in southern South America, from Bolivia's Santa Cruz Department south through western Paraguay into north-central Argentina as far as Córdoba and Buenos Aires provinces. Its elevational range is not well known, but in Argentina it is found between 500 and 1,300 m (1,600 and 4,300 ft). It inhabits the Gran Chaco, a biome characterized by low rainfall. The species is found there in hilly, rolling, and flat terrain with a wide variety of forest types, both dense and semi-open.

Chaco owl habitat map
Chaco owl habitat map
Chaco owl
Attribution-ShareAlike License

Habits and Lifestyle

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

The Chaco owl is primarily nocturnal but is vocally active at dawn and dusk. It hunts from a perch, dropping on or flying to small mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates.

Mating Habits

The Chaco owl's breeding phenology is poorly known but is assumed to be similar to that of other Strix owls. It probably nests in tree cavities or possibly holes in the ground. Captive females lay two to three eggs.

Population

Population number

The IUCN originally assessed the Chaco owl as being of Least Concern but uprated it to Near Threatened in 2018. Its population size is not known but " is declining due to forest loss throughout its range."

References

1. Chaco owl Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaco_owl
2. Chaco owl on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22733306/177165960
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/621924

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About